Posted on February 10, 2004 at 10:29 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A study under way by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) aims to identify children with autism living in 32 north Alabama counties. “The information gathered from the study will allow us to assess the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, such as autism, Asperger’s and pervasive developmental disorder, relative to the demographic make up of the area,” said Russell Kirby, Ph.D., UAB professor of public health with the department of maternal and child health. “Eventually, this information may play a role in defining risk factors associated with autism.”

Autism is a developmental disability characterized by deficits in an individual’s ability to communicate, to develop normal relationships and to cope with change in routines. Many individuals with this disability are never able live independent lifestyles. The disorder, which affects four times as many males as females, is one of the most common developmental disabilities. The prevalence is not well established, but recent studies suggest that it may be as common as four to seven per 1,000 children.

The study will be a survey of the number of 8-year-old children living in north Alabama in 2002 who were clinically diagnosed with autism. “Using today’s diagnostic tools, most children with autism can be diagnosed between 18 and 36 months of age,” said Kirby. “However, in past years, autistic children may have gone undiagnosed for longer, which is why we’ve chosen to survey 8 year olds for this study.”

The project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is part of a larger initiative to better understand and characterize autism. “We’re also interested in identifying children with other developmental disabilities, such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy,” Kirby said. “By learning more about these individuals and their life circumstances we hope to improve services for all children and families with developmental disabilities.”

Survey questions will focus on when autistic children first showed symptoms of the disorder and when they were definitively diagnosed with autism. “We will ask about gender and race, but during this study, we will not be collecting a lot of information about the children,” Kirby said. “We’re primarily concerned with how many, when, and where the children were diagnosed.”