Opinion: New York's Role in Treating Autism

From The Albany Times Union, a column by Dr. Terry Hamlin, chief of staff at The Center for Discovery in Harris, Sullivan County, and head of the Discovery School for children with autism.

The numbers released late last month by the Centers for Disease Control showing a significant increase in the prevalence of autism among children are sure to cause alarm and controversy. With 1 in every 88 children now being diagnosed with autism, we are confronted with what amounts to an epidemic and the greatest public health threat to our children, outpacing obesity and diabetes.
However, with obesity and diabetes, at least we know the general causes, we have good medical diagnostics and measures and we can formulate viable solutions. But with autism, we are mostly in the dark. We have yet to ascertain its origins. There there is no real consensus as to whether autism is one of nature versus nurture — genetic or environmental — or a combination of both.
The only thing that educators and service providers agree on is that there is a growing population of very different children in our schools and in our communities who require very different supports from what we have available, especially for the more severely affected.

Building a More Inclusive Workforce

In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (A.S.D.). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 730,000 people in the U.S. under age 21 have an A.S.D. It’s much harder to estimate the number of adults on the autism spectrum because only in recent decades has the condition been regularly diagnosed.
Some companies are designing whole work environments to accommodate people with differences.
What is clear is that almost all people with A.S.D. — which is four to five times more prevalent among males than females — struggle to find work where they feel comfortable and valued and where their abilities are well used.

Preterm Births a Real Concern

From The Washington Times, a column by Brighid Moret, a freelance writer and first time mother.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While I may be pregnant with my first child, this is not my first pregnancy. The first one ended in a miscarriage in the first trimester, and left me, like many women who this has happened to, nervous about the continued healthy development of the child I’m now carrying.
While the chance of miscarriage drops drastically after the first trimester, the risk of a terminated pregnancy still exists, but changes character. A loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks is considered a miscarriage, something the American Pregnancy Association says occurs in 10-25% of all pregnancies.
After 20 weeks, many women think they are out of the danger zone for a pregnancy loss, but there is still a risk. Preterm labor can occur anywhere after 20 weeks and is the birth of any baby prior to 37 because uterine contractions cause the cervix to open earlier than normal.
The World Health Organization says that the rate of preterm birth in developed countries is 5-7%, however, The March of Dimes reports that the rate in the United States is 12%. To put that in perspective, The CDC says 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely every year in the U.S. and cites premature birth as the leading cause of death among newborns.
Infants born early typically have low birth weight and underdeveloped organs.
Given advances in medical care and technology, the survival rate for premature infants has increased. There are charts that list the estimated survivorship for infants born as early as 25 weeks – that’s 12 weeks preterm – all the way up to 36 weeks. The youngest surviving preterm baby was born in Germany in 2011 at 21 weeks and 5 days, and at first, medical professionals did not expect her to survive. The Quint Boenker Preemie Survival Foundation places the likelihood of survival of preterm birth at 23 weeks at 17% and 50% for births at 25 weeks. They say that most babies born at 32 weeks or later will be able to survive with medical assistance.

Autism Rate Among Latinos Rises

The gap in the rate of autism between white and Hispanic children is narrowing, according to a study.
The prevalence of autism among white children in the U.S. is 1 in 100, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But among Hispanics it is 1 in 170. In the study, researchers examined nearly 400,000 birth records and data from early-intervention programs taken from 2001 to 2005 in Massachusetts.
According to the data from 2001, white children had the highest rate of autism, 90 percent higher than Hispanic children. By 2005, there was virtually no difference.
Experts say it’s because of the improved ability to diagnose the disorder.

'Eye on the Door:' Life with Autism

Whether it's to a swimming pool or a doughnut store, Michael Browne knows where he wants to go -- and since he doesn't have the words to say so, he'll just dart off.
Michael, who's about to turn 10, has a severe form of autism. People with the developmental disorder typically have difficulty communicating and socializing. But another sometimes dangerous aspect of autism has received less scientific attention and causes endless stress for parents: A tendency to run away from home or adult supervision.
"We constantly have our eye on the door and on Michael, and it's a hard way to live," said Melanie Browne of Katy, Texas. "I think that's the hardest part of raising him, is just the wandering issue."

Pressing Employers for Autism Coverage

As diagnoses of autism rise, a growing number of families are grappling with the worry and expense of finding treatment and special education for children with the complex developmental disorder. And many are pressing employers and legislators for help.
An estimated one in 110 children is diagnosed with autism in the U.S., and its prevalence is increasing for reasons that aren't well understood, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Average medical expenditures for those with autism-spectrum disorders exceed those without by $4,110 to $6,200 per year, the CDC states.
In response, at least 23 states, including Indiana, South Carolina, Arizona and Massachusetts, have passed laws in the last few years requiring state-regulated group health plans to include autism coverage, according to the National Council of State Legislatures, though many states have caps on the mandates. Most other states and Washington, D.C., have similar bills pending, according to Autism Speaks, an advocacy group. Only Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming don't have bills requiring autism coverage on their agendas.

Autism Is More Widespread, U.S. Studies Show, But Why?

Two new government studies suggest autism spectrum disorders are becoming more common in children in the USA. However, researchers say, it is not clear how much of the increase is a result of more frequent and earlier diagnoses and how much is a result of a real rise in the conditions.
"The concern here is that buried in these numbers is a true increase," Tom Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said Friday at a news conference. "We're not sure how big it is."
Insel noted that President Obama wants to increase spending on autism research by the National Institutes of Health by 16% — a bigger bump than in any other area of NIH research.

Links to additional coverage:

The Washington Post

ABC News

Los Angeles Times