Cerebral palsy, mental retardation and epilepsyhave all remained essentially stable over the past 11 years. MIND waslaunched in September to study autism as well as otherneurodevelopmental disorders. Autism has always been considered a rare disorder. Itsrate of incidence in the United States is typically cited at4.5 cases per every 10,000 live births. But in California,there is an incidence rate of about 15 to 20 per every10,000 live births.
Autism is a spectrum of developmental disorders, whichcan range from mild to extreme.
It is characterized byobsessive spinning or repetitive motions, an inability tocommunicate with other people, and behavioral problemsthat are often self-destructive. Pointing fingers Geneticists have, not surprisingly, attributed autism togenetics. And depending on their focus of study, otherresearchers have blamed it on pollution, food additives,vaccines and the overuse of antibiotics. Still others say theincrease simply reflects better diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and the Agencyfor Toxic Substance and Disease Registry responded tolocal calls for investigation after it was discovered that thetown had about 40 cases among 6,000 children.