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Vaccine Autoimmune Project for Research and Education (VAP)
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"Roughly 84 percent of children receiving early intervention services are born in New Jersey, Jacobs said."
New Jersey at top of list for children with autism BY LAURA BRUNO The reasons for New Jersey's high rate of autism are still unknown, but part of the riddle could be that the state is better equipped to make diagnoses and keeps better records, according to state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs. "I wasn't that surprised," Jacobs said of the Centers for Disease Control study that found New Jersey had the highest rate of autism among 14 states. "New Jersey does a good job of collecting data, so we're probably getting a more reliable sample." Jacobs said it's hard to know if there's something in New Jersey that makes children more susceptible to autism because the cause of the disorder is still unknown. The CDC study found the prevalence rate to be as high as 10.6 per 1,000 in New Jersey. The rate of autism could be even higher today, Jacobs said, considering the study looked at 2002 data. The state has seen increased demand annually for early intervention services, beginning at birth through age 3, for children with disabilities and developmental difficulties, Jacobs said. In addition, about 7,400 New Jersey children between the ages of 5 and 21 have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. "If New Jersey is an indication of the United States, (the CDC study) probably is an underestimate," Jacobs said. Although the perception often was that families flocked to New Jersey due to the state's reputation for good special education services, Jacobs dispelled that as a myth. Roughly 84 percent of children receiving early intervention services are born in New Jersey, Jacobs said. New Jersey applied for CDC funding to continue the research using 2006 data, but did not win the CDC funding, Jacobs said. It's a disappointment considering New Jersey's high rate, he said. The state will be funding the study itself, Jacobs said. One Morris Township mother said she believes the CDC's estimate of 1 child out of 150 having autism is low. Gayle DeLong has two daughters who are autistic. In one daughter's elementary school there are 10 children who are autistic, out of a population of 300 children, DeLong said. While DeLong doesn't think that's the average either, she believes autism is on the rise. She also said she believes her daughters' autism was caused by mercury from vaccines, which is considered a controversial opinion. The increase in childhood vaccinations has resulted in the spike of autism cases, according to DeLong. Since the CDC promotes vaccinations, there is a conflict of interest there in studying the causes and rate of autism, DeLong said. In addition, other states are not as progressive as New Jersey in providing services to children, she said. There may not be much incentive to have children diagnosed if there's not much to offer them, she said. "The numbers elsewhere may be similar to New Jersey's but there may be underreporting," DeLong said. "In some places where the schools don't have anything to offer the children, people may not bother reporting the disorder." Recognizing the need for autism services in the state, Gov. Jon Corzine last fall created a $15 million grants pool for schools to establish, expand or enhance programs and services for students diagnosed with autism. The Morris School District began offering services for children with autism about 10 years ago, said Nancy Helterman, director of student services. "The children come to us steadily every year," Helterman said. "We certainly haven't seen a decrease and we're not seeing any reason not to continue planning for new children. This study says to me we should be planning even more assiduously."
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