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Washington, D.C. --- Following the release of a 14-state study in which New Jersey was rated highest in incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, said today greater resources need to be devoted to finding the causes of autism and determining if there is an environmental or demographic factor that could be addressed.
The study was carried out by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers from the New Jersey Autism Study centered at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) participated in the analysis.
The Network studied records of eight-year-old children at sites in 14 states in 2000 and 2002. In the more comprehensive 2002 study, it was found that the average prevalence of autism spectrum disorders was 6.6 per 1,000 children. In the four counties studied in New Jersey---Ocean, Union, Hudson and Essex---the rate was 10.6 per thousand.
The New Jersey congressman issued the following statement in response to the release of the report.
"The study certainly doesn't unlock the mystery of autism, but it offers us the first solid figures on its incidence in New Jersey. This will not only be helpful in the search for clues to the root causes of autism, but should also help us ensure that the 14,000 autistic children in New Jersey have access to the best services available.
"The study's findings illustrate the critical need to work at all levels to discover the cause so that we can isolate and remove any contributing factors. This will take federal and state research money, additional surveillance studies and a commitment to raise public awareness."
"The 'Combating Autism Act" we passed in December directs the NIH to investigate possible environmental causes of autism spectrum disorders. We need to move faster in this direction, as well as raise public awareness and provide the best possible services to the many children and adults living with autism." |
