New figures the CDC has derived from its autism surveillance network show a striking increase in diagnoses of the disorder.Now one in 88 children is believed to be autistic,a 23% increase from 2006-08.One in 54 boys are autistic.There has been a 78% increase in autism cases since 2002.
At least some of the growth is down to better awareness of autism-especially in minority communities such as the African American and Hispanic.Another reason may be the inclusion of cases that once would have been labeled mental retardation or something else.
Diagnosis of autism is pegged on the three criteria of social,communication and attention shifting deficits.Skills in these areas have not developed naturally in autistic children,and must be painstakingly taught them individually by a method called applied behavioral analysis,which drives the cost of treatment way up.
The etiology or cause of the disorder remains a mystery,but research is looking at environmental pollution,medication and nutrition as possibilities.There have been a lot of problems getting health insurers to cover full treatment programs for autism.A total of 34 states have put laws on the books requiring insurers to cover at least some of the costs.The Harvard School of Public Health estimates it costs 3.2 million dollars to treat an autistic person over a lifetime;the societal cost is 35 billion dollars a year-a huge burden that is only ballooning even more each year.
Insurers contend autism is a developmental disorder,so the education system should be picking up the tab.
Among those making drugs for treating autism symptoms are Shire Pharmaceuticals(SPHGY);Teva Pharmaceuticals(TEVA);Pfizer(PFE);Novartis(NVS);and Johnson and Johnson(JNJ).
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