Science

CDC Report: Autism Rates on the Rise

March 28th, 2014

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is on the rise both in Georgia and nationally. A new report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 30% increase from a study released two years ago.

The report looked at records in 11 states and found that 1 in 68 of the eight year olds studied in 2010 were diagnosed with autism. In Georgia, that number is 1 in 64, which experts say closely resembles the national estimates. Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp is chief of the developmental disabilities branch at the CDC.

“We found that boys were identified about five times more than girls. White children were still more likely to be identified with autism than black and Hispanic children and most children with autism are diagnosed after age four.”

Yeargin-Allsopp says those findings are similar to some previous reports. However, she says the CDC also discovered that the picture of autism is changing over time.

“For example, almost half of the children identified with autism in 2010 had average or above average intellectual ability as compared to about a third of the children a decade ago.”

She says the report did not specifically look risk factors, causes of autism or why the numbers are rising. But she says the CDC is actively participating in additional autism research.

“This study does not look at the question of why this is occurring. However, we believe that some of this is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed and receive services within these communities.”

Dr. Michael Morrier is a senior associate of psychiatry in behavioral sciences at the Emory Autism Center.

“The number didn’t specifically surprise me, but what did surprise me is that we’re still getting more and more kids. I thought it may start leveling out by now but it just hasn’t.”

But as the numbers rise, Morrier is concerned about the amount of services that are available.

“In Georgia there’s 1 in 64 diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and are they all going to be able to get the appropriate treatment? I think there’s a lack of service providers for the amount of children we’re seeing.”

Experts say autism can be identified as early as age two. They say the sooner a child is diagnosed and can begin treatment, the better.