Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are complex disorders of development that first become noticeable in early childhood. Children with autism often have a hard time relating and communicating with other people, experience difficulty in social situations and have repetitive behaviors and interests.

In response to concerns from parents and others about the growing numbers of children being diagnosed with ASDs, the Children’s Health Act of 2000 was passed by Congress to promote research on autism. As part of these efforts, EHIB received funding for five years from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE). This means we conduct public health research on how often autism occurs and what factors contribute to it.

Research is the only way to find out what causes autism. CADDRE is working to answer questions about autism including: How often do ASDs occur in California’s children? How do genetic and non-genetic factors (lifestyle, environment, etc) work together to cause autism? Are there ways to prevent ASDs?

Families, service providers, doctors and scientists who are interested in learning more about our research efforts can contact us at autism@dhs.ca.gov or 510-620-3700 to sign up for our newsletter or to request more information. Parents who are concerned about their child’s development should also consult their pediatrician or see a developmental specialist.

Si usted quisiera tener mas informacion sobre el autismo, escribanos a autism@dhs.ca.gov o llame a Virginia Orozco Heffernan, CADDRE Educadora de Salud, 510-620-3624.