Autism is now Common

It's hard for me to tell whether there are more developmental problems or just better diagnosis because my kids are so young. I have talked to teachers who say they are seeing more problems now compared to 10-20 years ago. So I guess I am leaning toward more disorders. What do you think?

FROM ABC: It seems that doctors are finding autism more and more common. Now a new government study continues the trend-- which includes other developmental problems. Autism and other childhood development difficulties have increased seventeen per cent in the last ten years.

That's the finding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-- published in the journal "Pediatrics." Based on data from children age three to seventeen, the authors found a rise in those with: - autism - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - cerebral palsy - mental retardation (and) - seizures Autism had the biggest increase, rising four-fold between 2006 and 2008.

But Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder rose thirty-three per cent-- the biggest reason for the higher incidence of developmental problems. Boys had a higher prevalence than girls. The experts say the increase may be due to more pre-term births and parents having kids at later ages. They also cite better awareness and detection.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can usually purchase over the counter.

Autism Test

Research has shown kids with autism who are treated at a young age perform better later in life. So, figuring it out as early as possible is extremely important. This symptom of autism mentioned in this article is nothing new, but if there is a way to make it into an accurate diagnostic test, that would be new. I am all for it as long as it's accurate and not freaking out a bunch of parents for no reason.

FROM ABC: A toddler's fixation on geometric patterns may be an early warning sign of autism, researchers found.

Children ages 14 to 42 months with autism spectrum disorder spent significantly more time watching repetitive moving geometric images when given the option to look at either those images or at kids dancing and doing other activities, reported Karen Pierce, of the University of California San Diego, and colleagues.

In fact, spending more than 69 percent of the time during the experiment looking at the geometric images held 100 percent positive predictive value for autism spectrum disorder, they wrote online in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

These results, which should be easy and inexpensive to replicate in the clinic, provide strong evidence that some infants at risk for an autism spectrum disorder begin life with an unusual preference for geometric repetition, the investigators suggested.

Toddlers who show such a preference would be excellent candidates for further developmental evaluation and possible early treatment, since enriching their environment has been shown to effectively improve brain structure and function, Pierce's group noted.

Basing diagnosis solely on social deficits that may not become obvious until children are older may miss some opportunity for intervention, they suggested in the paper.

The investigators used eye-tracking technology while showing a one-minute video to 37 toddlers with autism spectrum disorder, 22 with developmental delay, and 51 that appeared to be developing normally.

The video showed moving geometric patterns recorded from a screen saver on one side and children doing yoga and dancing on the other side.

As part of a larger study in which children were screened for developmental issues at well-baby visits, these toddlers had been diagnosed as young as 12 months.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Are you having an acne emergency? Soderstrom Skin Institute can help. We treat acne seriously and in most cases will see you within a week. Evening and Saturday appointments are available. Call 309-674-SKIN and make your appointment today.

Autism One Conference

I am off to the Autism One Conference in Chicago today. It is a huge three to five day event where we will talk about everything autism. Here's the link to more information.

I was invited because I did a half hour special on autism last year. It was mainly to educate teachers and care givers of the signs and symptoms of autism. I am happy to report, it has been used in many classrooms. I put a couple of the stories from the special on You Tube.

If you are new to this blog, here are the links to the Autism Epidemic stories.





-NewsAnchorMom Jen