Stepping Out Blog

The number of US children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has soared approximately 30% in the past 2 years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventiong.

Reported by Medical News Today, this news is a more of a global concern, rather than a local one.

 In the surveillance summary report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers estimate that 1 in 68 children (14.7 per 1,000) now has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared with 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) in 2012.

The new estimates vary across ADDM sites, with ASD prevalence standing at 1 in 45 children in New Jersey, while 1 in 175 children in Alabama have the condition.

The data reveals that ASD is almost five times more common among boys than girls, with 1 in 42 boys estimated to have the disorder, compared with 1 in 189 girls. It is also more common among white children than black or Hispanic children.

The majority of children with ASD are diagnosed after the age of 4 years, according to the report, although the condition can be diagnosed as early as 2 years old.

Stepping Out offer specific targeted Autism care & support to those diagnosed under the Autistic Spectrum Disorder and or who have severe traits of Asperger’s Syndrome.

Our 24-hour staffed semi independent living projects are suitable for those whom require well-structured living options with strict boundaries. Our projects offer 24 hour on site staff in order to ensure close and regular supervision.

What do you think of the recent rise in US autism rates? Let us know in the comments below.

Blogger Shirley Ayres recently posted an article calling for the public to help Chill 4 Us Carers. For a worthy cause, Stepping Out wanted to do their part.

Chill 4 Us Carers provides a unique online community for carers. The community is run by carers, all of whom contribute their time on a voluntary basis.

The website has a 24-hour forum where members can post messages or reach out when they feel under pressure, or need some advice. There is an archive with games for members to play at all times of the day or night and issues can be discussed privately, without details being available to view online.

Wendy Maxell from Chill 4 Us Carers, had this to say about the need for such a community:

“You can become a carer in an instant and when it happens to you, you can suddenly find yourself in a very difficult situation. You’ve got someone to look after who is ill, you need to find help and yet you’re stuck in your house. That’s when the internet can make all the difference.

“When you are a carer, it can be frightening and you can feel very alone – we are the only peer support group for carers in the UK and it’s vital that people have somewhere they can go to talk to other people: they may not have the chance to speak to anyone else at all, otherwise.”

What Do They Need?

Chill 4 Us Carers needs your help to survive because it is starved of funding. With hundreds of members across the country Wendy is passionate about bringing the outside world to those stuck inside four walls and has campaigned tirelessly to give computers to those who can’t afford them.

The innovative Computers for Carers scheme provides free laptops which are given to carers and offers a lifeline for those who need them most. Wendy is asking anyone who has a working laptop which they no longer need to donate it to the organisation so they can give it to a carer.

She is also hoping to raise the necessary £5,000 to turn Chill 4 Us into a registered charity which would make future fundraising and grant applications far simpler and is also looking towards a time when she could hand the reins to another member to run the sites

You can read further details on the request for donations and help right here.

Additionally, you can contact Wendy Maxwell through the Chill 4 Us website or onTwitter or Facebook.