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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and Health Resources and Services
Administration released a report titled "Changes in
Prevalence of Parent-reported Autism Spectrum
Disorder in School-aged U.S. Children: 2007 to
2011–2012".
The report presents data on the prevalence of
diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as reported
by parents of school-aged children ages 6–17 years
in 2011–2012. Data was drawn from the 2007 and
2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health,
which comprises independent, nationally
representative telephone surveys of households with
children.
Last year, the CDC’s Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring Network estimated that 1 in
88 children had been identified with ASD. The CDC
now estimates that in 2011–2012, about 1 in 50
school-aged children, or 2 percent of children ages
6–17 years have some form of the disorder.
Since the average school bus holds 50–55 children,
that means, statistically speaking, on average there
is one child with parent-reported ASD on every
school bus in America.
The agencies conclude that the increase in
prevalence of parent-reported ASD was largely due to
improved diagnosis of ASD by doctors or other health
professional in recent years, especially when the
symptoms were mild.
For more information
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
(MDN)
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