One in 59 children in the United States is said to have autism based on the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a higher prevalence rate compared to its 2014 report.
The new report is based on data from 2014, whereas the 2014 report was based on data from 2012, from which it was found that one in 68 children was diagnosed with the disorder.
The organization tracked autism spectrum disorder in 11 communities in the country for its latest report. It used a tracking system to see the prevalence of autism and the traits exhibited by 300,000 8-year-old children, at which age autism is most prevalent.
Are Minorities Causing Autism To Become More Common?
According to the researchers, more children with autism have been reported due to the growing recognition of the disorder in minority communities. In the past, autism was more traced among Caucasian children than African-American and Hispanic children. This is because experts did not examine minority children. Autism was originally 20 percent higher in Caucasian children than African-American children, but the percentage decreased to 10 percent. Despite the decline, the prevalence remained prominent among Hispanic children.
Stuart Shapira, associate director for science at CDC's national center, believes that the higher number of minority children with autism could be due to health services being made available to minority communities unlike before. Shapira further said that the efforts are significant, because if more children are screened for the disorder, they can eventually get the assistance that they may need.
How To Tell If A Child Has Autism
It is still unclear as to what exactly is causing autism, as well as the factors that contribute to it, but it can be determined by observing children's behavior. For example, some children can be diagnosed with autism at as early as 4 years old, and this could last throughout an individual's existence. This is why Shapira encourages parents to track their child's development and act as early as possible. Some common symptoms of autism are obsessive interests, repetitive behaviors, and difficulty with communication.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disorder at the moment, but behaviorial education and family therapies could possibly reduce the symptoms and help to support the child's development and learning.
