From California autism advocate Rick Rollens.
According to information released today by the California Department of Developmental Services (syndrome autism of any 1st quarter reporting period since year 2001. 736 new cases were DDS, the First Quarter of 2005 (1/4/05 to 4/4/05) produced the smallest number of new cases of professionally diagnosed DSM IV full added. Syndrome; Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, and Epilepsy. The Quarterly Reports do not include children between the ages of 0 to 3 years old. Children between 0 and 3 are placed in the Early Start Program and accounted for in that section of California’s developmental services system. 82% of all new autism intakes first enter the system by age 6 years old, 90% are there by age 10, and 99% have entered by age 15.
California’s autism epidemic now accounts for 57% of all the new
intakes, and is the fastest growing disability in California’s system.
At the beginning of 1988, some 17 short years ago, there were 2,778
cases of autism in California’s developmental services system. Today there
are 27,312
Today there are 27,312.
Today, California is adding on average eight new children a day, seven days
a week, with professionally diagnosed DSM IV full syndrome autism to it’s
system. 80%, or 8 out of 10, of all persons with autism in California’s
system are between the ages of 3 and 17 years old. The staggering tidal wave of young children is unique to the autism population and is not evident in any other eligible disability except autism.