It means that there's a huge increase in the number of reported and diagnosed cases. What that means is anyone's guess, he says. Autism has always been considered a rare disorder. Its rate of incidence in the United States is typically cited at 4.5 cases per every 10,000 live births. But in California, there is an incidence rate of about 15 to 20 per every 10,000 live births.
Autism is a spectrum of developmental disorders, which can range from mild to extreme.
It is characterized by obsessive spinning or repetitive motions, an inability to communicate with other people, and behavioral problems that are often self-destructive. Pointing fingers Geneticists have, not surprisingly, attributed autism to genetics. And depending on their focus of study, other researchers have blamed it on pollution, food additives, vaccines and the overuse of antibiotics. Still others say the increase simply reflects better diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry responded to local calls for investigation after it was discovered that the town had about 40cases among 6,000 children.