All I can say, is what I keep saying
“Be Afraid, be very afraid”. If you don’t know why, here’s why: As a
country we are looking at a multi trillion dollar price tag for the care,
housing and education of this growing population of extraordinary people and we‘ve yet to
develop and implement sufficient local solutions, much less national ones. What has to happen for our country to wake up
and fund and develop sustainable programs that will work?
CDC estimates 1 in 68 children has been
identified with autism spectrum
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children (or 14.7 per 1,000
eight-year-olds) in multiple communities in the United States has been
identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This new estimate is roughly
30 percent higher than previous estimates reported in 2012 of 1 in 88 children
(11.3 per 1,000 eight year olds) being identified with an autism spectrum
disorder. The number of children identified with ASD ranged
from 1 in 175 children in Alabama
to 1 in 45 children in New Jersey.
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0327-autism-spectrum-disorder.html
The
surveillance summary report, “Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder among
Children Aged 8 Years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring
Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010,” was published today in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Researchers reviewed records from community sources that educate, diagnose,
treat and/or provide services to children with developmental disabilities. The
criteria used to diagnose ASDs and the methods used to collect data have not
changed.
The data
continue to show that ASD is almost five times more common among boys than
girls: 1 in 42 boys versus 1 in 189 girls. White children are more likely
to be identified as having ASD than are black or Hispanic children.
Levels
of intellectual ability vary greatly among children with autism, ranging from
severe intellectual challenges to average or above average intellectual
ability. The study found that almost half of children identified with ASD
have average or above average intellectual ability (an IQ above 85) compared to
a third of children a decade ago.
“Community
leaders, health professionals, educators and childcare providers should use
these data to ensure children with ASD are identified as early as possible and
connected to the services they need,” said Coleen Boyle, Ph.D., M.S. hyg.,
director of CDC’s National
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
The
report also shows most children with ASD are diagnosed after age 4, even though
ASD can be diagnosed as early as age 2. Healthy People 2020, the nation’s
10-year health objectives, strives to increase the proportion of young children
with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays who are
screened, evaluated, and enrolled in early intervention services in a timely
manner.
“The
most important thing for parents to do is to act early when there is a concern
about a child’s development,” said Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D., chief of
CDC’s Developmental Disabilities Branch. “If you have a concern about how your
child plays, learns, speaks, acts, or moves, take action. Don’t wait.”
If you
suspect that your child may have ASD:
·
Talk to your child’s doctor about your concerns.
·
At the same time, call your local early intervention program or
school system for a free evaluation.
·
It’s never too late to get help for your child.
CDC’s “Learn the Signs.
Act Early.” program has joined with others across the federal
government to promote developmental and behavioral screening through the Birth
to 5: Watch Me Thrive campaign,
which will be launched today. The program will help families look for and
celebrate milestones; promote universal screenings; identify delays as early as
possible; and improve the support available to help children succeed in school
and thrive alongside their peers.
“More
needs to be done to identify children with autism sooner,” said Boyle. “Early
identification is the most powerful tool we have right now to make a difference
in the lives of children with autism.”
Through
the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to health coverage and
to no-cost preventive services, including autism screening for children at 18
and 24 months. Most health insurance plans are no longer allowed to deny, limit, or exclude coverage to
anyone based on a pre-existing condition
,
including persons with autism spectrum disorder. Visit Healthcare.gov or
call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325) to learn more. Open enrollment in
the Marketplace began October 1 and ends March 31, 2014.
,
including persons with autism spectrum disorder. Visit Healthcare.gov or
call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325) to learn more. Open enrollment in
the Marketplace began October 1 and ends March 31, 2014.
For
additional information on:
·
Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network
and this report, visitwww.cdc.gov/autism.
·
CDC’s autism research, visit www.cdc.gov/SEED
·
Developmental milestone checklists and other resources to help
families track their child’s development, visit www.cdc.gov/milestones.
·
What to do if you are concerned about your child’s development,
visitwww.cdc.gov/Concerned.
·
State’s early intervention contact information, visitwww.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html.
·
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive, is part of a coordinated federal effort to encourage developmental
and behavioral screening and support for children, families, and the providers
who care for them. Watch for updates at www.hhs.gov/watchmethrive (expected to be announced later today).
/watchmethrive (expected to be announced later today).
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