04-10-2007, 03:18 PM
April 09, 2007
One out of every 150 children now is autistic. Three committees of the Legislature will hold hearings to explore the reasons behind the increase.
Knowing what she knows today, Mary Kieffer said, it "breaks our hearts" to watch home videos taken years ago. What's obvious now was invisible then: her infant son Joe's autism.
"Looking back, there were so many signs," said the Woodbury mother of three. "We just were not aware of them. He'd be distant. He'd cover his eyes all the time -- too much stimulation. He was always well-behaved, but he'd scream when his routine changed."
Thanks to an alert pediatrician and an "incredible" elementary school, things are much better today. But Kieffer advises young parents to pay careful attention to a federal study that shows that autism is far more common than experts used to think.
The number of kids classed as autistic is exploding. A recent study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that autism is found in one in 150 children -- and researchers involved in the study say that may be an understatement. In Minnesota schools, the state's Department of Education reports, the number of students identified as autistic jumped from fewer than 1,000 students a decade ago to nearly 10,000 today.
In months, three committees of the Minnesota Legislature will hold hearings to explore the reasons why. "Special ed costs are exploding," said Roseville DFL Rep. Mindy Greiling, who chairs the K-12 division of the Minnesota House Finance Committee. "People who know a lot about it tell us that it's not just that we're getting better at identifying autism, there is actually more and more autism," she said.
"Herbicides, pesticides, various pollutants can cause brain disorders in fetuses and babies, and we want to look at that, not only to save costs but save the human costs of these tragedies," Greiling said.
Autism, usually evident before age 3, is a treatable but incurable brain disorder described by the Mayo Clinic as "associated with a range of developmental problems, mainly in communication and social interaction."
Nationally, advocacy groups are expressing alarm, using the words crisis, epidemic, even national emergency to describe the increase. In Minnesota, however, advocates are more restrained. Mary Powell, executive director of the Autism Society of Minnesota, speaks of "dramatic" increases in caseloads but hastens to note that that's partly because the definition is widening.
A debate simmers over what's behind the increase. Some people blame vaccinations though extensive medical studies haven't found a link, according to MayoClinic.com. Others, like Greiling, point to environmental influences. Whatever the cause, families and schools have to cope with the costs.
The Combating Autism Act of 2006, which President Bush signed in December, authorizes nearly $1 billion over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention.
Autism intervention is costly. According to the United States Government Office of Accountability, programs for a school-aged child with autism costs $18,800 per year compared with $12,500 for average special education per pupil expenditures.
"We struggle almost every day for resources for kids," said Dr. Dan McLellan, a pediatrician specializing in child development at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The challenge for school districts is significant, said Anne Harrington, autism resource specialist for the Minneapolis schools. "We're scrambling to keep up with the needs."
Insurance companies, said McLellan, don't always help. "One big problem is that many decline coverage because contracts exclude 'developmental delays,' " he said. "We see it as a disorder. Some health plans still see it as a delay that schools can take care of."
A spokeswoman for the insurance industry said that varies according to the benefits package. "There is often a discussion of where the medical component leaves off and where the educational arena might begin," said Susan Pisano, vice president of communications for the Washington, D.C., trade group America's Health Insurance Plans.
The federal study included Wisconsin but not Minnesota. Researchers emphasize that they were prevented from using key data sources that would likely have pushed the ratio higher.
"We don't feel we have a full accounting," said Maureen Durkin, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "It's better than anything done in our state so far. But we didn't have access to schools in Wisconsin. And so you miss low-income kids who are only identified in schools."
One critical need is for doctors to be more aware and attentive, Powell said. "I think the typical office visit is about 20 minutes," she said. "You probably need a fair amount of time with a child, and, since there's no specific marker for autism, to be looking for problems with attention and engagement and social interaction."
A major effort is underway to educate doctors, pediatrician McLellan said, but it's quite true that "in general we should never pass off a delay [in development] as 'just a boy thing.'" Autism is far more common in boys than girls.
In Woodbury, meanwhile, Kieffer is relieved that Joe's condition is being treated. The assistance began in preschool and continues with daily pullouts from his classes into a special autism wing.
"I can't even imagine what it would be like if not for that system," she said. Something as seemingly small as the arrival of a photographer in the home or in class: "He would never have cooperated or looked at the camera three years ago ... Today you really don't see that much difference from any other kid.
"My oldest daughter gave a speech at school on all of this and took a picture and showed it to the other students, as a visual aid. Her point was, 'You can't tell the difference.'
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1110460.html
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/cgi-bi...cgi?read=174808
Who would like to explain the real truth and causes behind this....
please discuss!
One out of every 150 children now is autistic. Three committees of the Legislature will hold hearings to explore the reasons behind the increase.
Knowing what she knows today, Mary Kieffer said, it "breaks our hearts" to watch home videos taken years ago. What's obvious now was invisible then: her infant son Joe's autism.
"Looking back, there were so many signs," said the Woodbury mother of three. "We just were not aware of them. He'd be distant. He'd cover his eyes all the time -- too much stimulation. He was always well-behaved, but he'd scream when his routine changed."
Thanks to an alert pediatrician and an "incredible" elementary school, things are much better today. But Kieffer advises young parents to pay careful attention to a federal study that shows that autism is far more common than experts used to think.
The number of kids classed as autistic is exploding. A recent study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that autism is found in one in 150 children -- and researchers involved in the study say that may be an understatement. In Minnesota schools, the state's Department of Education reports, the number of students identified as autistic jumped from fewer than 1,000 students a decade ago to nearly 10,000 today.
In months, three committees of the Minnesota Legislature will hold hearings to explore the reasons why. "Special ed costs are exploding," said Roseville DFL Rep. Mindy Greiling, who chairs the K-12 division of the Minnesota House Finance Committee. "People who know a lot about it tell us that it's not just that we're getting better at identifying autism, there is actually more and more autism," she said.
"Herbicides, pesticides, various pollutants can cause brain disorders in fetuses and babies, and we want to look at that, not only to save costs but save the human costs of these tragedies," Greiling said.
Autism, usually evident before age 3, is a treatable but incurable brain disorder described by the Mayo Clinic as "associated with a range of developmental problems, mainly in communication and social interaction."
Nationally, advocacy groups are expressing alarm, using the words crisis, epidemic, even national emergency to describe the increase. In Minnesota, however, advocates are more restrained. Mary Powell, executive director of the Autism Society of Minnesota, speaks of "dramatic" increases in caseloads but hastens to note that that's partly because the definition is widening.
A debate simmers over what's behind the increase. Some people blame vaccinations though extensive medical studies haven't found a link, according to MayoClinic.com. Others, like Greiling, point to environmental influences. Whatever the cause, families and schools have to cope with the costs.
The Combating Autism Act of 2006, which President Bush signed in December, authorizes nearly $1 billion over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention.
Autism intervention is costly. According to the United States Government Office of Accountability, programs for a school-aged child with autism costs $18,800 per year compared with $12,500 for average special education per pupil expenditures.
"We struggle almost every day for resources for kids," said Dr. Dan McLellan, a pediatrician specializing in child development at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The challenge for school districts is significant, said Anne Harrington, autism resource specialist for the Minneapolis schools. "We're scrambling to keep up with the needs."
Insurance companies, said McLellan, don't always help. "One big problem is that many decline coverage because contracts exclude 'developmental delays,' " he said. "We see it as a disorder. Some health plans still see it as a delay that schools can take care of."
A spokeswoman for the insurance industry said that varies according to the benefits package. "There is often a discussion of where the medical component leaves off and where the educational arena might begin," said Susan Pisano, vice president of communications for the Washington, D.C., trade group America's Health Insurance Plans.
The federal study included Wisconsin but not Minnesota. Researchers emphasize that they were prevented from using key data sources that would likely have pushed the ratio higher.
"We don't feel we have a full accounting," said Maureen Durkin, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "It's better than anything done in our state so far. But we didn't have access to schools in Wisconsin. And so you miss low-income kids who are only identified in schools."
One critical need is for doctors to be more aware and attentive, Powell said. "I think the typical office visit is about 20 minutes," she said. "You probably need a fair amount of time with a child, and, since there's no specific marker for autism, to be looking for problems with attention and engagement and social interaction."
A major effort is underway to educate doctors, pediatrician McLellan said, but it's quite true that "in general we should never pass off a delay [in development] as 'just a boy thing.'" Autism is far more common in boys than girls.
In Woodbury, meanwhile, Kieffer is relieved that Joe's condition is being treated. The assistance began in preschool and continues with daily pullouts from his classes into a special autism wing.
"I can't even imagine what it would be like if not for that system," she said. Something as seemingly small as the arrival of a photographer in the home or in class: "He would never have cooperated or looked at the camera three years ago ... Today you really don't see that much difference from any other kid.
"My oldest daughter gave a speech at school on all of this and took a picture and showed it to the other students, as a visual aid. Her point was, 'You can't tell the difference.'
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1110460.html
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/cgi-bi...cgi?read=174808
Who would like to explain the real truth and causes behind this....
please discuss!