Autism Explosion Persists: 457 New California Children In 91 Days
 

Autism Explosion Persists: 457 New California Children In 91 Days

[This report comes from autism research advocate Rick Rollens.]

According to figures just released from the California Department of
Developmental Services (DDS), during the third quarter of this year (July 7
through October 6), 457 new children with fully diagnosed DSM IV autism
were added to the roles of California's Developmental Services System. 457
new
children have qualified for services at a cost to taxpayers, according to
DDS, of at least $ 2 million each ($914 million worth of new kids in just
three months from just one state!). Keep in mind as well, that these 457 new
children DO NOT include any children with PDD, Asperger's, NOS, or any other
of the autism spectrum disorders, except full-blown, DSM IV autism.

This most recent third quarter report represents the second highest number
of new cases reported for a third quarter in seven years. An
astonishing 35% of all the new intakes to the system during this three-month
period were new cases of autism; this, compared to the pre-autism epidemic
traditional intake rate of 3%. During the first nine months of 2000, the
California Developmental Services System experienced a 5% increase in total
caseload growth, which includes all new cases of mental retardation,
conditions similar to mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and
autism. During this same nine-month period, there was a 14% increase in
caseload growth in autism. California continues to add an average of 5 new
children a day, with full-blown DSM IV autism, seven day's a week to its
system.

What would the response be from the public health community if five new
children a day from one state were showing up on their doorsteps with a
horrible disease that leaves its victims brain damaged and terribly
disabled? Besides trying to develop a vaccine for it, I would guess that an
immediate public health crisis would be declared, and a major effort by CDC
and NIH would be undertaken to find the cause, and develop treatments and a
cure. We are experiencing such a public health crisis today...it's called
the autism epidemic.
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