It is not known how many children in
the United States currently have autism or a related disorder. Studies done in Europe and Asia indicate as many as
2 out of every 1,000 children have some type of autism.
A recent investigation by CDC in
Brick Township, New Jersey, found a prevalence rate for the autism of 4.0 per
1,000 children and a rate of 6.7 per 1,000 children for the more broadly
defined category of autistic spectrum disorders. Although the rates obtained
in Brick are high compared to other published reports, it is important to keep
in mind that there are no current rates for autism from the United States.
Furthermore, investigators in other countries who used intense case finding
methods in small communities are finding rates of autism in the range of those
found in Brick Township. The interpretation of the results from the Brick
prevalence investigation will not be fully understood until additional
prevalence rates have been obtained from other communities and compared to
those in Brick Township.
CDC runs the Metropolitan Atlanta
Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP), one of the few
programs in the world that conducts active and ongoing monitoring of the
number of children with developmental disabilities in the multiracial Atlanta
area. CDC added autism to the program in 1998 and anticipates having
prevalence rates for autism in the fall of 2000.
Autism is a spectrum of disorders
that are complex and lifelong. Individuals with autism have problems with
social interaction, communication difficulties, and restrictive or repetitive
interests/behaviors. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) includes autistic
disorder, pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (also
known as atypical autism), and Asperger’s disorder as defined by the American
Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - Fourth Edition
(DSM-IV).
Children with autism require
long-term care and services. Special education costs for a child with autism
are more than $8,000 per year, with some specially structured programs costing
about $30,000, and care in a residential school costing $80,000 - $100,000 per
year.
Little is known about causes of
autism, although genetic and early prenatal exposures have been suggested.
There is no cure for autism. However, early and intensive education can help
children develop skills and reach their potential. Although available
medicines cannot cure autism, some may relieve symptoms associated with the
disorders.
Other Related CDC Activities
CDC funds Marshall University Autism
Training Center, West Virginia, to develop and implement a program to prevent
secondary conditions among children with autism and their families. Marshall University is also developing a
prevalence system for autism in six counties of West Virginia.
National Center for
Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC
