Between 2008 and 2010, autism diagnoses climbed 30% according to the CDC.  It is believed now that 1 in 68 children have an autism spectrum disorder, up from 1 in 88 as previously reported.  Many argue that this increase is the result of increased awareness and better diagnostic tools, rather than an increase in the number of children with the condition.  Read more about it in this USA Today article.

Sawyer Whitely, left, and Michael Mendoza, both 10 and autistic, play selected video games at Steuart W. Weller Elementary School in Ashburn, Va. (Photo: Paul J. Richards, AFP)

It is incredibly important to know how to identify when you may be dealing with a special needs child, especially when the numbers suggest there’s one in every elementary school grade.  Wayne Sheppard of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is joining us for our Day on the INLETS programs to discuss high risk behaviors of these children.  We are pleased to announce the rescheduled date for our Wilmington, DE training session.  We will be returning to Delaware on May 15th to offer this program.  To register, click here.  We will be offering the program in Quantico, VA on April 10th, as scheduled.  To register for that date, click here.

For more info on the CDC’s research on autism, click here.