Autism on the rise locally, nationally
By: JENNIFER KABBANY - Staff Writer | ∞
Cathi Lovett, an intensive behavior interventionist, leads the preschool autism class at Ysabel Barnett Elementary School in Temecula Thursday.
STEVE THORNTON Staff Photographer
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Autism is growing more prevalent across the nation, a fact that is plainly evident in local schools.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently stated that 1 in 150 children has the disorder, up from previous estimates of 1 in 166. The new data came as no surprise to local educators serving students with autism in increasing numbers.
Southwest County school district officials have watched their populations of autistic students explode over the last four years. In the Temecula and Lake Elsinore school districts, their populations have jumped by about 300 percent.
In the Murrieta school district, the autistic enrollment has grown by 650 percent, an increase of about 100 students.
In comparison, their overall special education and overall student populations only grew by double digits percentage-wise.
"There are so many kids with autism," said Melanie Hertig with Temecula Valley Unified School District's autistic preschool program, which recently expanded by adding another classroom.
The materials for that classroom were paid for by a Temecula couple, Mark and Kathy Anselmo, whose son is autistic. The Anselmos raised about $40,000 last year to help pay for learning tools teachers desperately need for autistic students but the Temecula school district can't readily afford.
The couple is hosting another fundraiser Saturday, one of two large events this month designed to collect money to help local schools handle the surge in autistic students. The second is March 24 for Oak Grove School in Murrieta. It's meant pay for more classrooms for autistic students.
"When you have referrals you turn away because you don't have the space ---- it's just more people we could be helping we are not able to," said Oak Grove's Executive Director Tammy Wilson.
More common
It's still unclear to doctors what causes autism, most commonly described as a developmental disorder affecting one's ability to communicate and form relationships. It is characterized by a range of behaviors, including difficulty expressing needs and an inability to socialize.
"Autism is more common than we believed," said Catherine Rice, a behavioral scientist and the lead author of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's recent study that updated the latest numbers.
Why it is on the rise remains unclear, with people blaming culprits such as genetics and vaccines.
Locally, some parents heavily involved with special education efforts in schools said the rise in autistic students across Southwest County might also be attributable to other factors.
"I think that it's a combination of a bunch of things," said special education advocate Helen Robinson, who represents many families across Southwest County with special-needs children.
A small percentage might be based on the local housing construction boom, she said.
Also, to qualify for services in public schools per state and federal law, a child does not require a medical diagnosis of autism, they only need to meet the educational definition, she said.
Per law, school districts determine that a student has autism or a disorder like autism if he or she exhibits any combination of autistic-like behaviors, such as extreme withdrawal, an obsession to maintain sameness and ritualistic behavior.
"Parents are being more savvy about this," Robinson said. "The public has become much more aware, and I truly believe it's the parents demanding these services (from local school districts)."
Behind the curve
Denise Woolsey, spokeswoman for Riverside County Special Education Local Plan Area's community advisory committee, said over the last decade districts have also added programs to better serve special-needs students, a far cry from the status quo in the 1980s and early 1990s.
"The districts are creating their own programs now or have started autism programs, addressing it more than they have ever before," she said. "But they had these programs in other counties before."
Both Woolsey and Robinson said Southwest County school districts are behind the curve in offering services for special-needs students. Meanwhile, local educators bemoan the growing costs.
The Temecula school board in early February unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the federal government for not paying its fair share of the costs. The resolution states that while the law mandates districts properly serve special-needs students, the feds don't help foot the ballooning bill.
Federal funding covers about 18 percent of the average cost of educating a special-needs or autistic student, Temecula school district officials said. That shortfall has resulted in millions of dollars being diverted from the district's general education fund to cover special education costs, they said.
That's why local autism fundraisers are so critical, said Mark Anselmo.
Last year, he said he got fed up with the red tape involved in getting the proper materials to his son Nicholas' classroom. Mark and his wife, Kathy, put together the inaugural "Auction for Autism" dinner and silent auction at Pechanga that ended up collecting about $40,000.
Since that event in March 2006, the couple has collected wish lists from teachers and purchased hundreds of small and large learning tools for special-needs classrooms, mostly elementary schools.
They are looking forward to repeating ---- and hopefully ---- redoubling their efforts, they said. With the money they collect this year for their nonprofit Our Nicholas Foundation, they said they hope to help middle school teachers with their wish lists, and possibly some high schools as well.
"That is what we are excited about," he said. "We want to focus on some older kids."
Kathy Anselmo said because of the success of their first fundraiser, community members are reaching out and contacting them to contribute. Last year, the Anselmos were the ones knocking.
"There is this really neat outpouring," she said. "The teachers are seeing results, and are starting to understand this is not just for one program."
In future years, they said they hope to expand and help the Murrieta or Menifee school districts.
"It's just with Temecula, we've barely scratched the surface," Mark Anselmo said. "One of the things that would be really neat is if people in their own communities could run with our concept."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.
AUCTION FOR AUTISM
WHAT: Fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Cure Autism Now Foundation, Autism Speaks, and the Temecula Valley Unified School District to assist with its efforts to educate autistic children.
WHEN: 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Pechanga Resort & Casino's grand ballroom, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula
FEATURES: Dinner, dancing, music, speakers on autism and a silent auction.
ADMISSION: Tickets are $85 each and must be purchased in advance. Purchase by Wednesday via the Web site: www.auctionforautism.com
INFORMATION: Call (909) 841-4605.
OAK GROVE CLASSROOM ADDITION BENEFIT
WHAT: "An Evening Under the Oaks" fundraiser with proceeds going to Murrieta's Oak Grove School to help defray the cost of a $400,000 expansion project to help serve more autistic students.
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. March 24
WHERE: Temeku Hills Country Club, 31346 Rancho California Road, Temecula.
FEATURES: Dinner, music, dancing, silent auction.
ADMISSION: Tickets are $95
INFORMATION: Call (951) 677-5599
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Alf wrote on Mar 11, 2007 6:52 AM:The question is whether autism itself is increasing relative to the increase of the population or whether the diagnosis is.
citizen wrote on Mar 11, 2007 7:01 AM:A large part of the increase is based on a change in the diagnosis to include high functioning autism also known as aspbergers syndrome. This diagnosis was not previously included and these children and adults were not given an autism diagnosis.
Joe wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:17 AM:The real issue, in my opinion, is the stark reality that more kids are being diagnosed daily with problems that need to be addressed quickly and aggressively. If this doesn't happen, it will be more of a financial burden on families and schools as the child develops into an adult. The Anselmos should be commended for their pioneering efforts in helping to offset some of these burdens in our community.
Thank you Alf & citizen wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:21 AM:I've been following behavioral patterns that follow Parental Alienation Syndrome (Pee, Aye, Ess), (PAS) Q:Does leaving ones own kids in daycare, or abandonment via court order with a neglectful/abusive parent create disturbing behaviors?
Mercury in the fish wrote on Mar 11, 2007 9:14 AM:I know the sceptics like to ignore global warming and call it cyclic. How about high levels of mercury in the food chain, especially tuna? This comes from the burning of coal, Mercury is suspected in the rise in autism. Mercury is also used as a preservative in childrens vaccines, so that multiple vaccines can be drawn form a single vial. when you get vaccines make sure it is mercury free (a single dose vial)
Parents Are Wising Up wrote on Mar 11, 2007 9:37 AM:Alf-- you hit the nail right on the head there are no greater numbers here. In the 80'7s and 90's parents were told that their children had ADHD or ADD when the truth was rather obvious. My HMO knew my son was autistic from the age of 1-YEAR!! But I was told that there was nothing they could do about it but that Ritalin would help. I ran out of that office, however unfortunately thousands of parents took the Ritalin bottle. Now their kids are about 20- years and not doing well in society. The HMO got kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies and the schools were not obligated to provide the special education these children SO DESPRETLY needed. The parents are wising up and lawyering up that is the only difference, the philosophy of putting these kids in GATE programs and giving them Ritalin in exchange for special education services has hit a dead end now…….
Lori wrote on Mar 11, 2007 10:38 AM:You'd think that with "millions of dollars being diverted from the district's general education fund" that the district would put some of that into training teachers to actually teach kids with autism or at least try to get real teachers, I mean teachers with special education credentials, not emergency credentials!! "Behind the curve" is quite an understatement! If they actually would teach our kids, they wouldn't have to pay out so much $$ to non public agencies to do the job that they refuse to learn how to do! Don't be fooled by the pretty picture of the pre-school program, ask what they're doing for kids in middle school or high school. Teaching them to pick up trash at McDonald's doesn't constitute an education. But I do appreciate what the Anselmo's are doing. Thank you.
Wait a minute! wrote on Mar 11, 2007 10:44 AM:I thought these were OUR children? Why is the TVUSD complaining about the Feds NOT paying? Who do they think the Feds are anyway...HELLO, its us. CA law is more stringent than the Federal law anyway. Does this mean that if there weren't federal & State laws to protect OUR children, the TVUSD would REFUSE to educate them? Tell you what, just give me a voucher (the amount they get to educate my kid) & I'd gladly leave the district. Note to Joe: please don't refer to these children as "burdens in our community."
Alf wrote on Mar 11, 2007 11:00 AM:Well, "Thank you Alf & citizen", that is a question designed in the same fashion as "When did you stop beating your wife?". Of course those things are capable of create disturbing behaviors. My rebuttal question is - Why are 2 children who are given the same neglect, abuse, etc. able to mature into adults who are at opposite ends of the spectrum? And it's companion question - How much is "nature" versus "nurture"?
autism mom wrote on Mar 11, 2007 11:41 AM:to Wising Up..Yes the diagnostic criteria has broadened and the general population has increased, but how can you possibly think that there hasn't been a rise in severe autism. Are you saying that the parents of the 80's and 90's were too ignorant to help their children and we're just smarter now? What about the parents of the 70's and the baby boom parents.. were they all so oblivious? That makes absolutely no sense. If there was the same percentage of kids with severe autism previously, where are they now? Do the research. Even the deniers at the CDC record an increase in prevalence in level 1, severe, classic or whatever you want to call it.
HEY!!! to Thank You... wrote on Mar 11, 2007 12:01 PM:The Refridgerator Mother theory was debunked 40 years ago...abuse is not the cause of autism. Let's move on.
Leslie wrote on Mar 11, 2007 12:25 PM:Of of the major reasons why non-familial autism is rising is that paternal age has risen so much in 1980. Just yesterday Pub Med published an abstract of a paper finding that Paternal age over 40 is a major risk factor for needing special ed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17346999&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum Let's educate ourselves on this risk factor. ...
to Leslie.. wrote on Mar 11, 2007 1:22 PM:Perhaps, but think about ALL of the other things that have risen since the eighty's. People do not know that much of the things that we eat are poisoned in one way or another. How many people know that ALL (non-organic)commercial chickens are fed arsenic? But the FDA has given approval because it's supposedly low enough amounts. What's in our meat, let alone all of the processed crap that we eat without thought to what it's doing to us? Food dyes are processed from petrolium products. What about aluminum in anti-perspirant, mercury in vaccines and dental amalgams, pesticides, herbicides, household chemicals, and many, many more environmental toxins. If we continue to live without thought to what we are doing to the earth and ourselves our children will continue to be sick.
lynnard wrote on Mar 11, 2007 3:47 PM:My son has Asperger's and it is a tremendous challenge and strain----but he is doing well. This year he doesn't have an IEP and is completely maintreamed in HS. Does anyone know of any support for these children who want to attend college? I am a single mom (other 2 children are neurotypical) and this child is going to try to attend a 4 year college. Thank you to all who are aware and helping with those of us involved with Autism Spectrum disorders.
Just labeling wrote on Mar 11, 2007 7:57 PM:Why must everyone try to label their kids? Some people/kids will get it, some won't it is a fact of life. Do not be mainstreaming the "have nots" with the "have gots." It does nothing but "Dumb Down" America.
WHAT!!!! wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:31 PM:to Just labeling. You need to explain yourself, otherwise you sound like an ignorant bigot.
the battle to expose the autism epidemic has been long and painful... wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:55 PM:Autism mom—the answer is simple I am educating and advocating for your children TODAY!!! So how exactly can your generation be smarter when you depend on previous parents who have turned around and sacrificed their time and money to educate and advocate for your generation? Without parents like us your would be sitting in the dark like we were and buying all the BS that comes from the HMO’s pediatricians, CDE, and your local school districts. In the meantime they all knew the situation was like a time bomb……we opened the way so that you could be enlightened….
Vic wrote on Mar 12, 2007 1:12 AM:The truth will set us free. Oil companies produce the mercury for Big Pharma to sell as vaccines to billions of people world-wide. The reason for the increase is that we started administering many more vaccines concurrently and at an earlier age. If it was just better diagnosis, WHERE ARE ALL THE AUTISTIC ADULTS???!! There are very few compared to what the "predator class" has inflicted on the "prey class".
Isn't it interesting..... wrote on Mar 12, 2007 6:11 AM:....that the "new data" the CDC uses (1 in 150) is from a recent study that used numbers that were FIVE YEARS OLD? Some estimate that the current rate is more like 1 in 100. Kinda scary rolling the dice when one choses to have children these days. Kudos to the Anselmos...even though it makes me a bit nuts that school districts won't supply what's needed...These GOOD people have stepped forward to help the kids & their teachers.
autism mon wrote on Mar 12, 2007 8:46 AM:to the battle... You missed my point. I'm not saying we're smarter now. What I'm saying is that there are MORE of us. So we agree..there is an epidemic.
Mom of miracle boy wrote on Jun 2, 2007 11:53 AM:My son was diagnosed with autism at 3. I have lived a mostly holistic lifestyle for as long as I can remember. My parents believed in eating close to nature and we grew up in the country. When I had my son, I opted for vaccines. However, I chose mercury free vaccines, ONLY. Oddly enough, I refuse to eat tuna. I have since age 15, because of a report I read about mecury levels in certain fish. We only eat truly organic foods. We do not take antibiotics unless completely necessary. Now for the catch 22: my aunt and my mother's cousin are both autistic. They are adults in their 50's and 60's. My husband's cousin is autistic. I believe that autism is mainly genetic. Perhaps we should study gene mutations? Above all, let's stop pointing the finger and focus on the children. Thanks so much to the Anselmos!!
Bob wrote on May 6, 2008 1:27 PM:Joe,
Youa re right that the Anselmos's shoule be commended for their efforts. You are so ignorant. These kids are not and never will be a burden. Let me see you teach a child with autism or have a child with autism. It is the hardest thing you could ever imagine.
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