CDC: U.S. Autism Cases Up Nearly 80% In Less Than A Decade
A new Centers for Disease Control study out on Thursday shows there are 80-percent more kids in the United States with Autism now compared to less than a decade ago.
“I think the hardest thing with having a child with Autism is not being able to communicate with them,” said Amanda Van Orden, an Ammon mom who’s 12-year-old son Max is Autistic.
As Van Orden and Max play with an iPad in the family’s living room, she said it’s hard sometimes to explain Autism to someone who doesn’t live around it day-to-day.
“I’ve had people say, ‘Well he doesn’t look Autistic.’ Well, what does Autistic look like?” she said.
That question doesn’t really have a solid answer. There’s little known about the developmental disorder. But now, new statistics from the CDC show a frightening upswing in diagnosis.
In 2000, an estimated 1 in 150 children were Autistic. In 2008 — data released Thursday — 1 in 88 children are reported to have the disorder.
That spike represents an increase of 78-percent.
“The type of things you’ll see in young children, often you’ll see language delays. You’ll see odd use of language,” said child psychiatrist Dr. Susan Bunnell.
Bunnell works for Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s Behavior Health Center. She said the trend is occurring nationwide — including eastern Idaho. The most affective tool to managing the disorder, she said, is knowing about it early.
“It’s important to diagnose early because there are lots of studies that show that the kids do better,” said Bunnell. “They can have lots of programs, they can get into developmental pre-schools.”
For Van Orden, the shocking statistics may themselves be a tool to heighten awareness.
“There’s a quote and it says, “If you’ve met one person with Autism, you’ve met one person with Autism,'” said Van Orden. “I think it’s about awareness and understanding.”
According to the same CDC study, boys with autism still outnumber girls about 5 to 1. The CDC said 1 in 54 boys in the United States is believed to be autistic.
