'Speaker: Autism not epidemic' - Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp (CDC)

[Guest guest]

Speaker: Autism not epidemic

Expert attributes spike in cases to changes in definition

Stanforth

Staff writer

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

(November 1, 2006) — Evidence that autism rates have skyrocketed in

the past 20 years is insufficient. But the federal government is

working on research that will more accurately determine exactly how

many children in the United States have the developmental disorder,

according to an internationally recognized expert who visited

Rochester on Tuesday.

Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, a specialist in pediatric

neurodevelopmental disabilities, delivered a speech on " Autism: Is

There an Epidemic? " at the annual J. Kirch Conference at the

Burgundy Basin Inn in Pittsford. Yeargin-Allsopp is a chief at the

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities,

which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The conference, sponsored by Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong

and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,

drew about 450 people, mainly those who work with developmentally

disabled children.

Autism, a neurological disorder affecting children's social

interaction and communication skills, has appeared to be increasing

at alarming rates, said Yeargin-Allsopp.

The California Department of Developmental Services, for example,

has reported a six-fold increase in the number of children needing

its autism services from 1987 to 2002. The federal government has

also reported almost a five-fold increase in children with autism

served by special-education programs, from just fewer than 20,000

children in 1992 to about 100,000 children in 2002.

But Yeargin-Allsopp said that the increases corresponded with new

federal and medical guidelines that changed what was considered an

autism-related disorder, or what experts call autism spectrum

disorders, and who qualified for those services.

Classification of autism spectrum disorders became more specific in

1992, 1994 and 2000. Also, the federal government made autism a

developmental disability eligible for special-education services in

the early 1990s.

Nevertheless, Yeargin-Allsopp said, " we cannot say this represents

an epidemic. "

She also said there have been only seven " incidence " studies that

have tried to determine whether autism rates are different than in

years past. But she said all the studies used children whose

disorders were diagnosed between the ages of 4 and 6 — although

symptoms of autism may be found in children as young as 1 year old.

The current belief is that autism spectrum disorders affect anywhere

between two and six children for every 1,000 children. But the

federal government is currently funding clinical trials in 14

locations to nail down a more specific number. Those studies will

take at least another five years to complete, she said.

Joan Price, an intake coordinator at De's Avenues of

Independence, a program for the developmentally disabled, attended

the conference and agreed with Yeargin-Allsopp's message that

increased awareness and diagnosis might be the reason for increased

rates.

" It's hard to tell when they keep changing the criteria, " said Price.

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