The rate of autism in New Jersey is continuously rising putting the state on the lead in a recent survey. Experts are still trying to determine the cause of the increase.
According to NJ.com, the place has recorded a 12 percent increase in the number of autism cases from 2010 to 2012. This is the period where the last survey was conducted in New Jersey revealing that one out of 41 children have autism.
It was explained in the same report that experts are still unsure if families in the state are prone to having an autistic child or that doctors and schools in the area are very good in telling if a kid is autistic. Despite New Jersey's lead in the survey, NJ.com indicated that other states may soon reach the numbers.
"Wisconsin, Missouri, Colorado....they have rates that are half the rate in New Jersey," said New Jersey Autism Registry head Walter Zahorodny. "Those are obviously way under-estimated."
This was supported by epidemiologist Michael Rosanoff of the national organization Autism Speaks who claimed that numbers per region do not have a lot of difference. "New Jersey might be doing a better job of identifying kids with autism so the true prevalence may be closer to the New Jersey number," Rosanoff added in a NorthJersey report.
It was also noted that there were still cases of children who remained undiagnosed even after years of having autism. However, experts claim that early diagnosis also leads to better progress for kids.
"We're seeing a lot more children on the higher functioning end of the spectrum diagnosed," explained Institute for Child Development at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital director Dr. Randye Huron. "[But] I have seen amazing progress in children diagnosed early."
Though the numbers are on the rise, NorthJersey said these are expected to stabilize in the coming months. Experts and specialists have assured the public that they will continue to monitor the changes in the autism rate in the country.
