Source: Schafer Autism Report
This announcement comes from California autism advocate Rick Rollens.
According to information released today by the California Department of Developmental Services (www.dds.ca.gov), the number of new cases of professionally diagnosed full syndrome DSM IV autism entering California's developmental services system declined from 734 new cases during the second quarter of 2005 (April through June) to 678 new cases during the just completed third quarter of 2005 (July through September), a 7 1/2% decline in one quarter.
During the first three quarters of 2003 California added 2449 new cases, last year in 2004, California added 2267 new cases of autism, and most recently, during the first three quarters of this year, 2005, there have been 2148 new cases added to the system.
The recent continuing decline of new cases of autism is occurring against the backdrop of over two decades of record setting consecutive years of new cases of autism entering California's 36 year old system.
Even with the declining numbers, autism as a category, the other categories being mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy, now comprises 66% of all new intakes, or 2 out of every 3 persons now entering California's system has been professionally diagnosed with full syndrome, DSM IV autism, easily making autism the number one disability entering California's developmental services system.
It is important to note, that in California's developmental services system, children under the age of 3 years old are NOT counted in DDS's quarterly reports. Also, only those persons with professionally diagnosed full syndrome autism, not including PDD, NOS, Asperger's, or any other autism spectrum disorder, are included in these reports.
The latest quarterly report confirms the trend of decreasing number of new cases entering California's developmental services system.
Posted by Becca 
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