One in 88 U.S. children has been diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, according to new federal data. The rate has increased by more than 20 percent between 2006 and 2008, due in part to wider awareness and better screening. We look at the new numbers, and discuss the latest research on risk factors and causes.
Guests:
Coleen Boyle, director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sanford Newmark, head of the Pediatric Integrative Neurodevelopmental Program at UCSF
Cory Manalani, area director for Northern California for Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization
Shannon Des Roches Rosa, senior editor for "The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism," contributor to "My Baby Rides the Short Bus: The Unabashedly Human Experience of Raising Kids With Disabilities" and contributing editor of "Parents of Children With Special Needs" at BlogHer.com