Autism: Yesterday and Today

by Jacqueline Seewald

image © Dixie Allan

webclipart.about.com

This being the month of autism awareness, I think it’s a perfect time to examine information available on this problem which impacts so many parents and children in our society. Living in New Jersey, I am aware that my state was rated highest in the incidence of autism spectrum disorders. The study I’m refering to was carried out by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers from the New Jersey Autism Study centered at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) participated in the analysis.

The Network studied records of eight-year-old children at sites in 14 states in 2000 and 2002. In the more comprehensive 2002 study, it was found that the average prevalence of autism spectrum disorders was 6.6 per 1,000 children. In the four counties studied in New Jersey--Ocean, Union, Hudson and Essex--the rate was 10.6 per thousand. The study included nearly 30,000 children in Essex, Union, Hudson and Ocean counties. The statistics are even worse for boys where New Jersey's rate is 16.8 per 1,000 compared to girls (4 in 1,000), according to the study.

The results  have  caused a debate over whether the findings are due to environmental factors or just better detection methods in New Jersey. Officials suggested one reason for New Jersey's higher rates is an aggressive system of assessment and treatment for children with autism. There is also a higher concentration of autism experts, such as pediatric neurologists and developmental pediatricians in New Jersey, than in states where rates appear to be low.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Coalition on Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) stated: “More and more children are being silenced by autism. The fact that 1 in every 101 children in New Jersey alone have a form of autism is alarming data of epidemic proportions.”  

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by severely impaired social, communicative, and behavioral functions. Yale School of Medicine autism experts Fred Volkmar, M.D. and Ami Klin, part of a global research consortium from 19 countries attempting to identify a gene and a region of a chromosome that may lead to autism in children, published findings in Nature Genetics in March 2007. Their findings are based on the largest-ever autism genome scan. Over 120 scientists from over 50 institutions formed the Autism Genome Project (AGP) for research. The AGP began in 2002 when researchers from around the world decided to collaborate and share their samples, data and expertise to aid in identifying autism susceptibility genes. 

These researchers speculated that there may be five or six major genes and as many as 30 other genes involved in autism. If a child has more of these genes, there is a higher chance of being born with autism or a more severe form of the disease. 

The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade.

Over the past 20 years, there has been speculation about a connection between immunizations and an increase in autism. However, a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the January 2005 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine suggests the increase may be due to improved awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria and availability of services, not environmental factors or immunizations.

Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccines and thimerosal-containing vaccines (which are approximately 50 percent ethylmercury) have been suggested as possible causes. But a McGill University study of July 5, 2006 published in the scientific journal Pediatrics found no such relationship, and in fact, completely rejected it. Dr. Fombonne who conducted the study attributed the rise in autism rates to a broader definition of autism and greater awareness of the disorder.

According to a new research study to be published in the print edition of the journal Human Molecular Genetics, children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements. Debate continues in the research community about the degree of genetic versus environmental contributions to autism. Research on instructional interventions for children with a broad range of needs is an ongoing national and state endeavor.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $5.3 million in initial one-year funding to the latest two recipients of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program. With these awards, announced on World Autism Awareness Day, these and nine other centers around the country are now being funded for up to five years. The program was created in 2007 to launch an intense and coordinated research effort aimed at identifying the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and finding new treatments. Let’s hope the current ongoing efforts make for a breakthrough!

Here are some tips for early intervention and diagnosis of autism:

1. ASD can often be diagnosed by two years of age.

2.  Signs parents should observe and report to a professional:

       • Communication problems (difficulty using and understanding language)
       • Difficulty relating to people, objects, and events
       • Unusual play with toys and other objects
       • Difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings
       • Repetitive body movements or behavior patterns 

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GIVEAWAY 
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CONGRATULATIONS! One commentator was selected at random as our giveaway winner. The book is on it's way. Enjoy! 

Thanks everyone for participating and keeping the discussion going. 

SPECIAL THANKS to Jacqueline Seewald for writing this informative article and offering her book. Let's hope she will return back to authenticparenting sometime soon. 

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Let’s keep the discussion going! All comments welcome. I am also giving away a print copy of my mystery novel THE TRUTH SLEUTH,

recently reprinted in paperback by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery, to one person who comments. That person will be chosen at random. The novel is set partially set in a high school in which an English teacher deals with learning disabled students. Leave an e-mail address if you are interested in being entered in the drawing.