Autism affecting young children is rising

Autism rates are on the rise in America, according to a new US government study that found a 72 percent increase over the past four years. In New Jersey, one in every 49 children, aged 6 through 17, receive an autism spectrum diagnosis. That’s just one child below the new national average of one in every 50 children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found. That’s three times the number of diagnoses from a decade ago.

But the survey isn’t without controversy. It was conducted as a national telephone survey with nearly 100,000 parents in 2011 and last year. It is probable parents with autistic children were more interested in participating in the survey than other parents, the Associated Press reported CDC officials as saying.

Autism is diagnosed by identifying a child’s behavior; there are no medical tests for the disorder. If the survey is accurate, more than one million children are affected by an autism spectrum disorder.

That number could grow in 2014 when up-to-date medical and school figures are expected to be released.

Autism is one of the most widespread, misunderstood and socially scorned disabilities. Autistic children are developmentally, physically, emotionally and socially disabled.

If you suspect your child has a developmental problem that could be a form of autism, your first step should be an examination by the child’s pediatrician. An early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children with autism.

Treatment with homeopathic medicines under the guidance of your homeopathic doctor is most successful when homeopathic medicines are prescribed on the basis of your child’s general symptoms, temperament, constitution and behaviour.