Prevalence of Autism in US Children Increasing
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Posted by Karen Plumley Oct 6, 2009 |
The latest buzz on autism in the United States is that the previously estimated number of kids affected by an autism spectrum disorder (autism, Asperger syndrome, pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified) was off. The old estimates came from a 2003 National Survey on Children's Health and at that time, only 1 in 150 kids were reported to have an ASD. Now, the estimates coming out of a more recent survey suggest that autism occurs once in every ninety U.S. children.
What is going on here? Are children just being diagnosed with autism more often than before because there is more awareness and knowlege of the disorder, or is there actually been an increase in the incidents of autism due to environmental or genetic factors? Important to note is that some of the statistics have remained steady, such as that boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.
Whatever the case may be, and hopefully there will be further studies to determine risk factors and causes of autism, one thing is abundantly clear: The educational system of this country will need to be more prepared than ever for the inevitable influx of children who have been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. The likelihood that a classroom of 25 kids contains at least one on the autistic spectrum is becoming greater and greater. How will teachers prepare their curriculum, lesson plans, and daily activities to enhance awareness of and meet the needs of autistic children? The following articles may be a start for teachers looking to help their students with autism:
Autism Social Skills:
- Classroom Social Skills Training
- Raising Autism Awareness in the Classroom
- Conversation Skills
- Coping with Bullies
- Teambuilding Games
- Acting Lessons
- Classroom Parties
Improving Academic Skills for Autistic Students:
Helping Autistic Kids Through the Day:
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