AUTISM RATES CONTINUE TO CLIMB

​AUTISM RATES IN THE US CONTINUE TO CLIMB. WHY?

​1 of 68 children in 2012; 1 of 59 children in 2014.​

Among schoolchildren in the United States, autism rates jumped 15% between 2012 and 2014.

Between 2000 and 2014, the increase was 150%. These surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) involving 8 year old children are conducted every two years.

No clear environmental causes have been identified. Studies have shown a large genetic contribution to autism and that the influence of genes is extremely complex; no specific gene or combination of genes has been reliably identified.

The CDC studies have shown variation in autism prevalence by state. New Jersey has the highest autism rate – 3%, Arkansas has the lowest – 1%. Increasing rates were observed among African-American and Hispanic children, narrowing the gap compared to white classmates.

It has been noted that New Jersey has more resources than other states that are devoted to autism detection and treatment. This observation supports the belief among many autism researchers that improved detection is a significant contributor to the increased autism rates, and that many cases of autism in past years were there but were unrecognized.

This large effect of diagnostic competence on autism rates suggests: 1) autism rates could continue to rise as communities become better equipped to identify autism; 2) where diagnostic competence has been lacking due to limited resources, there are many autistic individuals who are not benefiting from the growing knowledge and use of autism-specific educational assistance.

The prevalence rate of autism in the Philippines is not yet known.