| Thursday, March 20, 2008 ROY HOFFMAN Staff Reporter |
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Twenty percent of people in Alabama know someone who has autism, according to a new study by the College of Education of University of South Alabama and the USA Polling Group.
Included in that 20 percent -- based on a random sampling of 768 people -- were four respondents who identified themselves as having autism.
The poll's findings underscore the need to address issues of autism at the statewide level, Dennis Campbell, USA assistant professor of special education, said Tuesday at a news conference.
He will present the poll results to the Alabama Autism Task Force during Autism Awareness Day at the state Capitol in Montgomery on April 3.
Among other findings, 60 percent of poll respondents agreed that parents of autistic children cannot be expected to provide all necessary services by themselves, but 63 percent said that most people with autism should be cared for by their immediate family as much as possible.
Jennifer Muller, executive director of the Autism Society of Alabama, said the poll was part of a larger examination of autism issues conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
A $25,000 grant, used for both the USA and UAB studies, came from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.
Autism, Muller said, has become "a public health issue."
A decade ago, she said, one in 10,000 people had autism. Now the number with ASD -- autism spectrum disorders -- has skyrocketed to one in 150.
Muller explained that the dramatically higher number is due, in some part, to "better awareness and better identification" of ASD. "But there's a true increase as well."
Dr. Hanes Swingle, associate professor of pediatrics at USA, emphasized how important it is for children with autism to be diagnosed as early as possible.
The average age for diagnosis nationally is 3 years old.
In Alabama, the average age of diagnosis is 4½.
The earlier the diagnosis, Swingle said, the "better the outcome" in terms of "education and behavior management."
Swingle said the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children receive developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months of age, and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months.
Swingle, along with Dr. Franklin Trimm, established the USA Autism Diagnostic Clinic in April 2007. Information from USA states that the center provides information and instruction on screening and other matters to local health-care practitioners.
Two of Cindy Fulford's three children have ASD. Her 7-year old son has what she described as "classic" autism: "non-verbal, with aggressive behavior." Her 5-year-old son with ASD is "high functioning."
"It's tough when you first hear of the diagnosis," Fulford said, but there were benefits to being actively involved from the start.
Fulford coordinates an ASD support group in Mobile County, which meets the first Tuesday of every month.
"It's wonderful that South (USA) is recognizing the needs in our area," she said. "It means people are trying to help.
"The fact they're saying we have these kids," she added of the public response, "is important."
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