Autism research

Autism research information courtesy of WaterOz Mineral Supplements

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 166 children in the US is diagnosed as autistic. That is a surprisingly high rate for most of us who haven’t been exposed to the statistics or someone affected by autism. "Autism research" is in trouble simply for lack of awareness. The lack of public information means that research funds are diverted to other more well published causes such as heart disease and cancer. Although these are important as well, there are so many children with autism that much more attention to this disease is badly needed.

Many parents of autistic children complain that there isn’t enough autism research being done at this point in time, despite the high numbers of children affected by the condition. Mr. Wright, of Autism Speaks, says that just 2/3 of 1% of the National Health Budget is being spent on autism research. That tiny percentage is coming out of a total of $30 million budgeted every year. It just is not enough funds for autism research proclaim those parents and children affected by autism. The Autism Speaks foundation is attempting to raise funds for autism research that many individuals hope will provide an eventual cure for the disease. Autism research may eventually be able to provide a cure that could not only release their children from their trapped worlds, but change entire families financial and emotional well being.

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Trying to determine the cause of autism is one of the most important factors that is being handled in the area of autism research at this time. Once they have discovered the cause, a cure is close behind. Some studies have suggested that there is a connection between mercury exposure and autism, although not all researchers believe this is the case. Autism research is focusing in part on environmental factors, but without adequate funding, they are a long ways from finding out exactly what the actual cause for the condition is.

Studying high-functioning toddlers with autism is one area that some autism research projects have been focusing on. These children are given non-verbal tests (since they are too young to speak well) involving computers. These tests are given to very small children from18 months to 2 years old to gauge their ability to assimilate information and to study exactly how children with autism develop in their formative years.

They are also testing children who have autistic siblings. This gives researchers a control group, children raised in the same home with the same stimulus and environmental exposure as their autistic sibling. And, since children with autistic siblings have a higher probability of developing the condition themselves, researchers can watch them develop right from birth, adding a huge amount of information useful to autism research.

While many years of concentrated focus have given us tools to help these children, the nation is still a long way from a cure. Only more autism research and better funding for that research can get us closer to that ultimate goal.

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Additional resources on Autism research:

www.autismspeaks.org A national nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to finding the causes, prevention, effective treatment, and research funds for Autism

www.autismwebsite.com Conducts research, and disseminates the results of research, on the causes of autism and on methods...

www.autismresearchcentre.com Autism research center based at the University of Cambridge.

Autism research in the news if available: