The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network (Essay Sample)

The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network
Autism, often known as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental illness that impairs a person's ability to engage in meaningful social interactions. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) struggle to communicate and connect with others, and they often engage in repetitive activities and have limited interests. The prevalence of ASDs has risen dramatically during the last three decades. There has been substantial debate over how much of the apparent increase in ASD prevalence is due to etiologic causes and how much is due to non-etiologic variables like changes in reporting standards, public awareness, referral patterns, and a decrease in age at diagnosis. This paper examine the rise in the number of children classified as being on the autistic spectrum.
The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collects estimates of the prevalence and distinguishing characteristics of ASD. The only autism monitoring system that considers health and school data is the most extensive population-based autism monitoring program. According to (ADDM), the number of American students participating in special education programs increased by about 420,000 in 2010 due to autism (CDC). According to et al. Hyman (2020), the current prevalence of ASD in children is estimated to be about 1%, while values as high as 2.6% have been discovered. Overall, the number of children diagnosed with a group of brain development problems that includes autism stayed the same, which shows that children who were once called "intellectually disabled" were autistic.
According to experts, the following variables might explain the recent increase in autism diagnoses. Extensive testing has led to the detection of children with autism. According to McConkey (2020), in 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics ordered autism screening for all children aged 18 to 24 months as part of well-child examinations, which meant that more children were being tested for autism, which told that more children were being diagnosed with the illness. This also allowed doctors to detect minor cases of autism that they would have missed otherwise. Autism is becoming better known among the general public. When parents suspect their children are not typically developing, they often seek testing from doctors. Better access to health care also plays a role in autism's rise. Children of color and Hispanics had limited access to proper health care until recently, resulting in lower diagnosis rates. As medical therapy has become more widely available, it has been discovered in various groups.