Last year the dramatic rise in the number of children with autism made national headlines – the number released by the CDC was 1 in 88 children born today will be diagnosed with autism. But are those the real numbers or are they much higher? What the CDC did not make evident was that the numbers they reported at the end of March 2012 were from data collected in 2008 – the numbers were already four years old!

Furthermore, the CDC’s calculation is based on the number of children who are enrolled in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. These estimates from the ADDM Network are based on data collected from health and special education records of children living in just 14 areas of the United States during 2008. The map below indicates the area in which the CDC collects their data. Keep in mind it is not the entire state, simply communities within those states. Also note that populous states such as California, New York and Texas are not even part of the calculation.

According to VaxTruth.org their current calculation shows that the actual number may really be 1 in 54. The CDC is in the middle of collecting data for years 2010-2012 from areas in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia/CDC, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin. To find out more information about the work being done in each of the areas, visit the CDC’s site.

To find out more about autism as well natural ways to help with autism, please read our other blog entries as well as articles from the autism section of our site.