Autistic patients have underlying medical disorders that are amenable to treatment

The National Children's Health Survey published results from a 2007 telephone survey in Pediatrics today in which 78,000 households in the US were asked if their child (ages 2-17) was known to "currently have autism, Asperger's Disorder, pervasive development disorder, or other autism spectrum disorder." The survey showed that 1% of children (one in 100) now have the disorder. Previous estimates from the CDC had reported a prevalence rate of one in 150. To read the new report online, visit:>

The survey also reported that nearly 40% of households surveyed who had a child diagnosed with autism reported that their child did not currently have the condition. This finding supports numerous reports from the Autism Research Institute, that recovery from autism is possible in some children. According to Dr. Stephen M. Edelson, Executive Director of ARI, new research challenges the long-held view that autism is an incurable genetic disorder: "What we are discovering is that those with autism often have underlying medical disorders that impair neurological, gastrointestinal, metabolic, and immune systems, that when these problems are accurately diagnosed and treated, the symptoms of autism often improve -- sometimes to the point that the child is no longer classified as autistic."