SAN DIEGO - The UC San Diego is one of six colleges in the United States that will receive more than $10 million to set up a "center for excellence" to study the causes and treatment of autism, the school announced today.

Autism is a condition that impairs social, emotional, language and cognitive development that may affect as many as 2 million Americans. It is also on the rise, according to researchers.

The San Diego center will focus on identifying a "signature" of autism in infants based on early childhood development, behavior and genetics.

"Most importantly, we hope to find biomarkers of autism during infancy, so that targeted interventions can begin as early as possible to improve brain function and behavior in autistic children," said the director of the center, Eric Courchesne, a professor of neurosciences at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Autism is the nation's fastest growing developmental disability, affecting nearly one in 150 births. Its diagnosis in California has increased by 1,300 percent in the last 25 years, according to Laura Schreibman, UCSD professor of psychology who specializes in behavioral treatment of autism.

"Whether because of earlier diagnoses and increased awareness of the disease, or other environmental causes that have yet to be determined, autism seems to be rising at an alarming rate," she said.

In the 1980s, there were four or five cases per 10,000 infants nationwide. Today it is diagnosed in 67 per 10,000 births, she said.

The UC San Diego Autism Center will focus on the earliest stages of brain development. At-risk infants and toddlers in the San Diego region will be identified to participate in the five-year study.

"Our research team will focus on uncovering causes of the disorder, finding the most beneficial behavioral treatment, and, long-term, identifying possible biologically based treatments," said Courchesne.

The Autism Centers of Excellence awards from the National Institutes of Health were made possible by federal legislation that doubled funding for autism research. The other five centers will be located at UCLA, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.