The hardest condition to define on the autism spectrum: PDD NOS
Autism now affects one in 88 children in the United States,
according to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention last month. That’s a 23 percent increase
over the last two years and a 78 percent increase in the last
decade. Doctors and experts agree that this staggering jump may
bring feelings of fear and confusion to an already little
understood disorder. The cause of autism, a neurological
developmental disorder, is still unknown, though most science
currently available points to a mixture of genetic and
environmental factors. Similarly, the cause of the recent
increase is not fully understood; it’s unclear whether the
number represents more cases or simply better detection and
screening. “The most important thing is that there are more kids
who are identified with autism spectrum disorders, so we need to
plan accordingly for services that address that,” said Dr.
Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autis