The urgency of autism: Progress in combating it, even as diagnoses increase

News outlets examine progress being made in diagnosing autism and understanding its possible causes.

USA Today: Autism Science Is Moving 'Stunningly Fast'
The quest to unravel the mystery -- and get children and families the help they need -- has become more urgent as autism has become more widely diagnosed. The condition now affects one in 88 children, according to a report last month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Szabo, 4/9).

Healthy Cal: Autism Diagnoses Increase, Especially Among Latinos
More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that impairs the brain's ability to build communication and social skills, according to a report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism has been detected in about one in 88 children, a 23 percent increase from the CDC's last count in 2006 and almost double the number of diagnoses found ten years ago. Experts believe better screening and growing public awareness about autism are driving the steady increase in diagnoses. Still, some say too few doctors -- only 40 percent according to a 2008 survey -- are screening for autism, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment for many children (McKinnon, 4/9).

Healthy Cal: Obesity, Diabetes In Mothers Linked To Developmental Delays
For years, obesity and autism have been on the rise. Now, a new study is providing evidence that maternal metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes may be linked to developmental delays and autism. Obese mothers are 1.66 times as likely to have a child with autism as normal weight mothers who do not have high blood pressure or diabetes, according to the study conducted by the UC Davis MIND Institute. They are also more than twice as likely to have a child with a second developmental disorder (Craig, 4/9).