In some U.S. communities autism prevalence is more than three times the national average, a new study suggests.
While the developmental disability is estimated to affect less than 2% of children nationwide, rates in parts of New Jersey are nearly 7% or higher, according to findings published recently in the journal Autism Research.
Researchers took an in-depth look at the number of children with autism in four New Jersey counties that include 76 school districts. They combed special education records and those from hospital-based developmental centers to identify all children born in 2008 who had autism indicators at age 8. Then clinicians reviewed the records to confirm whether a child qualified for a diagnosis on the spectrum. The methodology used is consistent with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employs to come up with national prevalence estimates.
