“Shocking” new autism data released in the U.S. on Monday sent reverberations across the border and renewed calls for Canadian government agencies to get a grip on autism rates in this country.
The U.S. data found the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has continued to increase, and now affects one per cent of children in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC said it went public with the findings, because they were similar to those published Monday by the Boston-based medical journal Pediatrics, which found that ASD affected one in 91 children — including 1 in 58 boys — in the U.S.
“These data affirm that a concerted and substantial national response is warranted,” said the CDC in a statement.
The published Pediatrics study, done by the Health Resources and Services Administration, surveyed by telephone 78,000 parents with children aged three to 17.
Suzanne Lanthier, of Autism Speaks Canada, said the U.S. data were “shocking” and should motivate Canadian health authorities to focus their energies on dealing with autism.
“We need to start paying attention to that, and putting significant resources into finding out why this is happening,” said Lanthier.
Lanthier said Canada does not have similar national data on domestic autism rates.
Autism advocacy groups in Canada have relied on the previous 1-in-150 rate released by the CDC in 2007, said Lanthier.
“Given what we have seen, there is no reason to believe that Canadian rates would be significantly different from the U.S.,” said Lanthier.
Canadian studies have pegged child ASD rates in Canada at between one in 147 and one in 165.
ASD is a group of developmental disabilities that cause social, communication and behavioural problems. The disabilities include autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder.
The cause of autism is still a matter of debate.
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