Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Autism Rates Have Increased, But Experts Attribute It To Better Diagnosis Practices For Minority Children
The Associated Press: More Kids Have Autism, Better Diagnosis May Be The Reason
The government estimates that autism is becoming more common, but it's only a small increase and some experts think it can be largely explained by better diagnosing of minority children. About 1 in 59 U.S. children were identified as having autism in 2014, according to a Thursday report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focused on 8-year-old children. That's up from 1 in 68 children in both 2010 and 2012. (Stobbe, 4/26)
Los Angeles Times: Here's Why The Apparent Increase In Autism Spectrum Disorders May Be Good For U.S. Children
Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data come from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. ADDM researchers pore over medical reports from pediatric clinics, neurologists, child psychologists, speech pathologists and physical therapists, as well as records of special education services provided through public schools. (Kaplan, 4/26)
Bloomberg: Autism Disorder Increases In U.S. Children, CDC Study Finds
The study, based on 2014 research, again identifies New Jersey with the highest incidence. One in 34 children in that state, or 3 percent, fall on what’s called the autism spectrum, which encompasses a range of social, behavioral and learning disorders ranging from the barely noticeable to the profoundly debilitating. (Young, /26)
