Study questions extent of autism in the U.S.

05 Jul 2005
Source: Reuters
By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO, July 5 (Reuters) - Government figures which have been cited to prove that autism is rapidly increasing in the United States are not reliable and thus unsuitable for tracking the disorder, a study said on Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Education figures, based on the number of children receiving special education assistance, have internal "anomalies" and are in conflict with a number of studies on the prevalence of the condition, said the report from Portland State University in Oregon.

"Basically we don't know what the true prevalence of autism is in this country," the study's author, physician James Laidler, said in an interview.

Full article available at:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04730058.htm

For more information and resources on autism, go to:

http://www.autismconcepts.com/.