Increase in autism baffles scientists from the NYT:
The California study was prompted by a 1999 report from the state's Department of Developmental Services, which reported that the number of children with "full spectrum," or profound, autism had increased by 273 percent.... The study did not deal with milder forms of the disorder, like Asperger syndrome [which is a common factor to geekiness, or so they say].
The numbers were surprising, Dr. Byrd said. The traditional estimate was that 4 or 5 children out of 10,000 might develop autism. Instead, it appeared that 10 children in every 10,000 were seriously autistic, meaning they suffered from a brain disorder that left them unable to speak or compulsively performing repetitive motions like flapping their arms or rocking.
After the period studied, the number of autistic children continued to rise, to 18,460 cases as of July 2002 [versus 10,360 in 1998 and 2,778 in 1987], according to the California [DDS].
