Prevalence of Autism - Community Report
Sunday, November 09, 2003 (23:26:06)

Posted by Sylvia

Brick Township, New Jersey, a town of about 77,000 residents, is located approximately 60 miles north of Atlantic City, just a few minutes from the Atlantic coast.

In late 1997, a citizens’ group in Brick Township, Parents of Special Services and Education (POSSE) contacted the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) with the results of a survey they had conducted on the number of children in their community with autism.

The results of this survey suggested that the rate of autism among Brick Township children could be several times higher than expected based on prevalence rates for the disorder.

In early 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) were contacted by the New Jersey DHSS, U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, and Representative Christopher Smith about the possibility of federal assistance in addressing the concerns of the citizens of Brick Township.

CDC assistance was requested because of the complexity of investigating a disorder such as autism, in which the diagnosis is based solely on the behavioral characteristics of the child, and CDC was developing epidemiologic methods to address the unique challenges of autism. ATSDR’s expertise was requested because of a concern by the community that the apparent increase in autism might be caused by environmental factors.

In response to the requests for federal assistance, a four-part Health Action Plan for Brick Township was developed which included: (1) a prevalence investigation of autism; (2) a review of the literature on the association between chemical contaminants and autism; (3) an investigation of environmental pathways for human exposure in Brick Township; and (4) community involvement and health education activities. This report presents the results of the Brick Township autism prevalence component.

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