Study Finds Big Differences In Autism Rates By Community

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While the developmental disability is estimated to affect less than 2% of children nationwide, rates in parts of New Jersey are nearly 7% or higher, according to findings published recently in the journal Autism Research.

Researchers took an in-depth look at the number of children with autism in four New Jersey counties that include 76 school districts. They combed special education records and those from hospital-based developmental centers to identify all children born in 2008 who had autism indicators at age 8. Then clinicians reviewed the records to confirm whether a child qualified for a diagnosis on the spectrum. The methodology used is consistent with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employs to come up with national prevalence estimates.

The study found rates of the developmental disability that varied considerably from one place to the next and by other factors including race, socioeconomic status and school district size.

Overall, autism prevalence was 3.6% in New Jersey. But the rate topped 5% in a fifth of school districts, reaching a high of 7.3% in the state’s largest suburban district, Toms River.

“We found that mid-socioeconomic status communities, like Toms River, had the highest ASD rates, which was contrary to expectation because in earlier U.S. studies ASD rates were highest in high-socioeconomic status communities,” said Josephine Shenouda, a project coordinator at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a co-author of the study.

Hispanic children were less likely to be diagnosed with autism, the research found.

New Jersey is ran by organized crime. High corruption, high pollution, industrial waste being dumped in to water supplies. autism caused by early environment toxin overload. Mafia= Autism (my theory)

Ah sometimes genius is misunderstood. Its actually quite plausible. Towns have collectively sued companies because of High cancer rates caused by water supply contamination. Tony Soprano = Autism. ( i stand by my theory)

I don't get paid to do scientists work for them.