April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Autism Awareness Month

April is a busy month in the lives of those working to bring awareness to two important mental health issues facing children in America.  It is through the work of agencies that the public is educated about children and families that have impact in every facet of our society.  Autism is on the rise as is child abuse.  The statistics are shocking and we all need to take a look at what we can do to raise awareness so that research and prevention services are funded.  Join with me and celebrate Autism Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

Autism

The increase in the prevalence in autism as been all over the news lately.  This is the latest information regarding the prevalence rates.   Here are the highlights from the new report by CDC as summarized by Medscape.  I will be blogging about autism followed by information regarding child abuse.

Did you know this about autism?

A new report by the CDC last month shared the following findings. The new estimates are published in the March 28 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

-  New estimates put the figure at 1 in 68 children aged 8 years (or 14.7 per 1000) ― roughly 30% higher than previous estimates reported in 2012 of 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1000) having an ASD, the agency said.  "The criteria used to diagnose ASDs and the methods used to collect data have not changed," the CDC noted.

- "Over the last decade, the most notable change in the characteristics of children identified with autism is the growing number who have average or above average intelligence, from one third in 2002 to nearly 50% in 2010," Dr. Boyle said.

- "To better understand why, there is an urgent need to do more research. It could be that doctors are getting better at identifying these children. There could be a growing number of children with autism and higher intellectual ability, or it may a combination of better recognition and increased prevalence," she added.

- The data continue to show that ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys than girls: 1 in 42 boys vs 1 in 189 girls. White children are more likely to be identified as having ASD than are black or Hispanic children, the CDC said.

- "Community leaders, health professionals, educators and childcare providers should use these data to ensure children with ASD are identified as early as possible and connected to the services they need," said Dr. Boyle.

- New Initiative Announced
         Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! program will help families look for and celebrate milestones; promote universal screenings; identify delays as early as possible; and improve the support available to help children succeed in school and thrive alongside their peers, she [Dr. Beckman] noted.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a partner in the initiative.

 MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014:63;1-21. Full article