It's now estimated that perhaps 1 in every 50 children have autism! This latest finding was released today by the Centers for Disease Control. Time for the Autism Million Moms March...for every one mom there would be one child - ONE MILLION children with autism!
This new finding is based upon a telephone poll calling 95,000 parents of school-aged children in 2011 and 2012. CDC officials believe the survey provides a valid snapshot of how many families are affected by autism, said Stephen Blumberg, the CDC report's lead author.
This will not come without its controversy. This is at a time when the DSM-V is about to be published suggesting that Asperger's Syndrome is no longer to be considered a diagnosis under the autism category.
The study that came up with the 1-in-88 estimate had its own limitations. It focused on 14 states, only on children 8 years old, and the data came from 2008. Still it was a number that was used by world-wide autism advocacy groups.
