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Schools report rise in
number of younger pupils with autism TEACHERS are reporting an alarming increase in the number of children displaying symptoms of autism. A survey by the National Autistic Society suggests that 124,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales - one in 86 - have educational difficulties associated with autism, or the related condition Asperger syndrome, a far greater proportion than previously thought. In a particularly disturbing finding, it also found that the incidence of autism and Asperger's is three times higher among primary than secondary school pupils - fuelling concerns that the number of children suffering from the symptoms is escalating rapidly. According to the survey, the rate is one in 80 for children aged five to 11 compared with one in 268 for 11 to 18-year-olds. The society has previously estimated that one in 110 of the population suffers from "autism spectrum disorders", and the Medical Research Council suggested last year that the rate for children under eight years old was one in 166. The new report, which is published today, will re-ignite parents' concerns about autism, which has been linked controversially with MMR, the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine introduced in Britain in 1988. The results suggest that either tens of thousands of secondary school age children with the condition are going without the help they need or that an autism epidemic of considerable proportions is unfolding. Judith Barnard, the society's head of policy and a co-author of the report, said: "We cannot provide answers, but two thirds of the teachers that responded to us said they are seeing a lot more children with autism than they were five years ago - and they should know." Autism was of little public interest five years ago but has become the most controversial topic in medicine since Andrew Wakefield, a former consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in North London, suggested that it may be brought on by MMR in susceptible children. Doctors are divided, however, over whether autism is really on the increase or whether people are merely more aware of the condition. The Government, backed by leading medical bodies at home and internationally, has insisted that there is no evidence to implicate its vaccination programme. A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said yesterday that it was "still unclear whether the rise in numbers of children being identified with autistic spectrum disorder is due to greater awareness or a real rise in numbers". He added that the Government was providing £25 million over the next three years to fund extra help for schools. Damian Green, the Conservative Party education spokesman, said that Labour's policy of keeping affected children in mainstream schools would need to be reviewed if large numbers were coming through the system. "The trend of closing down more and more special schools will be increasingly dangerous if we are going to get more and more children who need extra help." The NAS sent surveys to all schools in Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Islington and received responses from 30 per cent of them, representing more than 130,000 children. Teachers were asked to report how many children had been diagnosed with autism or had symptoms defined as autistic as part of a formal assessment. Ms Barnard said that secondary schools would soon be facing far more children with identified autistic spectrum disorders, and further resources would be needed. The parents of one five-year-old, Caitlin Howard, who suffers from Asperger's, said yesterday that they were extremely worried about her future education. "As Caitlin gets older the differences between her and her friends will be greater," said Anna Howard, from Peterborough. "There doesn't seem to be a formal plan for her. Fitting into a large secondary school is going to be difficult."
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