Rutgers University researchers recently published a study in the journal Pediatrics They found that between 2000 and 2016, autism diagnosis rates among 8-year-olds nearly tripled in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas.
What is autism?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a developmental disorder that can lead to significant social, communication, and behavioral problems.”
About 1 in 44 children nationwide is diagnosed with ASD, according to CDC data. The 2021 report found a national increase at a rate similar to that seen in the Rutgers study.
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Why is autism on the rise?
This is largely due to increased awareness of its existence and complexity, as well as improved diagnostic tools and education. However, other potential causes include human genes and environmental conditions. There is little evidence that this disorder is caused by vaccines.
not intellectually disabled
Autism is described as a spectrum disorder because it manifests in different ways depending on the person, with varying degrees of severity. As awareness of the condition has grown, so has the awareness that autism is not an intellectual disability but can occur in people with average and above average IQs.
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Researchers at Rutgers University looked at data from nearly 5,000 children identified with ASD and found that only one in three had an intellectual disability. In children with average or above-average IQs, she increased the diagnosis rate five-fold.
In particular, ASD diagnoses increased most among wealthy children without intellectual disabilities, revealing serious and persistent disparities in access to adequate medical and educational support. for example:
- Children in affluent areas were 80% more likely to be identified as having ASD without intellectual disability than age-matched children in underserved areas.
- Black children were 30% less likely than white children to be identified as having ASD without intellectual disability.
Universal screening for autism “has not been done consistently, and even if it has been done, there has been a lack of follow-through in which parents are referred to appropriate services,” said a co-author of the study. Rutgers epidemiologist Josephine Shenoda told NBC. News.
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What does this mean for students?
The increase in diagnoses coincides with a worsening shortage of special education teachers and staff. Special education tends to have significantly more vacancies than other subjects and departments. This is a staffing issue that tends to be most pronounced in low-income schools in general.
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What’s more, during the pandemic, many parents were unable to get their children diagnosed or serviced, which could have long-term consequences. autistic child and autistic child Other special needs fulfill their potential.
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Please contact Alia Wong at (202) 507-2256 or awong@usatoday.com. Follow @aliaemily on Twitter.
