Two new government studies estimate that, more frequently than ever, U.S. children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.   Research published in “Pediatrics”, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that nearly 1 in 100 children in this country appear to have symptoms on the Autism Spectrum, making autism the most prevalent childhood developmental disorder.

This study used data from the federal government’s 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. The survey of 78,000 parents was conducted by researchers from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

A second study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that about one in every 100 eight-year-olds has Autism Spectrum Disorder.  In a similar 2007 study, the CDC placed the rate at one in 150. Details on the study are to be published later this year.  Autism Spectrum Disorders include Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Degenerative Disorder, Rett’s Syndrome and Non-specific Pervasive Degenerative Disorder.

Patrick O Sullivan, Manager of The Autism Fund, says the findings contained in these two new reports are in line with the rise in the number of children in Southwest Florida who are seeking treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders.  “We have seen a steady increase over the past few years in parents looking for treatment for their children”, he said.  “And as diagnostic tools become more precise and the sign and symptoms of Autism become better known, the nunbers will continue to increase, here and elswhere. We hope that the information coming from both of these new studies, coupled with the fact that Autism is now the most prevalent childhood development disorder, will spur local, state and federal government and health authorities into action to fund more treatment for children with Autism.  Much is being done to discover the causes of Autism, but meanwhile the children already effected are desperate for treatment and the means to pay for it”, he concluded.

The Autism Fund is a Southwest Florida based charity raising funds to provide treatment for children with symptoms on the Autism Spectrum in Lee and Collier Counties, Florida.  www.theautismfund.org