tes of autism and other developmental disabilities have increased tremendously in America since 1997. How many of us know a child who has a developmental disability? According to a recent study published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the data is alarming. The study, “Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in U.S. Children, 1997–2008,” was conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
According to the advocacy and support group Autism Speaks, the 2006 Combating Autism Act (CAA) is set to expire this year. It authorized funding for biomedical and treatment research for the disorder, and required federal agencies to collaborate in matters to do with autism. The group called for Congress to pass the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 (CARA).
A developmental disability is a lifelong disability characterized by a mental and/or physical impairment in children 18 years and younger. The study aimed to fill in gaps of crucial data needed for health and educational planning, according to the abstract.
Researchers used information about children aged 3 to 17 years from 1997 to 2008. The data came from the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS), which monitor the health of the nation. Diagnoses reported by parents in the survey included, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, moderate to profound hearing loss, blindness, and learning disorders according to the study abstract.
Developmental disabilities were greater in boys, both in number and severity, and fewer in girls. Hispanic children had the lowest number of disabilities when compared with non-Hispanic white and black children, according to the study.
Developmental disabilities increased from 12.84 percent to 15.04 percent during the study. Autism, ADHD, and other developmental delays increased.
Hearing loss decreased significantly, according to the report.
The study concluded that more health and education services are needed, as well as further study of the influence of risk-factor shifts, changes in acceptance, and benefits of early services.
The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is a group of programs funded by the CDC to determine the number of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the United States. Based on data collected in multiple communities throughout the United States, the most recent records showed that 1 in 110 children in the United States have ASD. For boys, the figure is 1 in 70. The CDC reported in 2006 that more than half of the children with ASD, symptoms were expressed before the child had turned 3 years old.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1990 to 1997 require states to provide early identification and provision of services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays, established conditions that are associated with developmental delays, and, at the state’s option, children at risk for developmental delays. Most states offer early intervention programs for families and children with developmental disabilities.
Last month the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) “NewsHour” broadcast an in-depth series on autism. The host of the program, former anchor Robert MacNeil, interviewed his daughter. Allison MacNeil has a 6-year-old son with autism. MacNeil asked her if she thought the medical community and her contact with it understands this wider definition of autism. She said, “Emphatically no. They can't just refer these kids to early intervention and consider this a psychiatric or neuropsychiatric situation. They've got to stay involved and help the family get referrals for gastroenterology, to neurologists to look at whether or not there's seizure activity.”
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/autism-increases-legislation-set-to-expire-56951.html
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