The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 1 in 68 U.S. children have autism, which is much higher than previous estimates.  The CDC is therefore working hard to find out how many children have autism, how we can learn more about possible causes of autism, and how we can best educate parents and professionals on early developmental milestones. This session will provide information on current CDC activities in each of these areas.

How many children are estimated to have autism?

More people than ever before are being diagnosed with autism. Monitoring the number of people identified with autism over time can help us learn whether the number is rising, dropping, or staying the same. We can also compare the number of children with autism in different areas of the country, different groups of people, and according to different diagnostic criteria. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is a group of programs funded by CDC to estimate the number of 8-year-old children with autism in the United States. In this discussion, Dr. Daisy Christensen will give a comprehensive overview of the ADDM Network and most recent findings.

How can we learn more about possible causes of autism?

We do not know what causes of autism.  However, we have learned that there are multiple types of autism with likely many causes.  There may be many different factors that make a child more likely to have autism, including both environmental and genetic factors.

The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is a multi-year study funded by CDC. It is currently the largest U.S. study to help identify factors that might put children at risk for autism and other developmental disabilities. One way to help find possible causes of autism is to identify children who have similar autism characteristics. Researchers can then see if one or more possible causes predict similar characteristics in subgroups of children. In this discussion, Dr. Lisa Wiggins will give an overview of the SEED and one study that identified subgroups of children with similar autism characteristics.

How can we best educate parents and professionals on early developmental milestones?

We naturally think of a child's growth as height and weight, but from birth to 5 years, every child should reach milestones in how he or she plays, learns, speaks and acts. A delay in any of these areas could be a sign of a developmental problem, even autism. The earlier autism is recognized, the more parents can do to help their child reach his or her full potential.

The CDC, in collaboration with a number of national partners, launched a public awareness campaign called “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”  This campaign aims to educate parents and professionals about childhood development, including early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders, and encourages developmental screening and intervention. In this discussion, Dr. Jennifer Zubler will give a comprehensive overview of the objectives of the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign and key activities to date.