Monday was World Autism Awareness day. It comes just after a newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study (PDF), which found a 78% increase in the number of U.S. autism cases between 2002 and 2008.
The study looked at the prevalence of autism among 8 year olds in 14 states and found that 1 in 88 was diagnosed with autism or some form of the disorder. In Georgia, that number was 1 in 84. That’s compared to 1 in 131 in 2002. So what’s responsible for the high number of cases? Dr. Michael Morrier is the assistant director for research and program evaluation at the Emory Autism Center.
“I think it may be a combination of things. I’m not sure anyone knows, but I think some of it may be more awareness of autism.”
Morrier says researchers are also trying to discover whether genetic components or environmental factors play a role in causing autism. He says the study highlights the need for early diagnosis and treatment.
“So we can really make dramatic changes in their development and maybe even sort of stop some of the signs of autism from developing.”
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