[Source: Parents.com]
by Ellen Seidman
Yesterday’s news was shocking: One in 88 kids has autism, a significant rise since The Center For Disease Control and Prevention started tracking those stats a decade ago. Parents everywhere wondered what to make of the report, and worried about missing a diagnosis.
For perspective, I reached out to two major autism experts:
Alison Tepper Singer is founder and president of the Autism Science Foundation, and the former executive vice president of Autism Speaks. A mom to a daughter with autism (and a sibling to a brother with autism), she has served on the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and appeared on Oprah, The Dr. Oz Show, NBC Nightly News and many other news programs to discuss autism.
Elizabeth Matheis, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist who specializes in autism and learning/behavioral disorders. She serves as a consultant for public and private schools, and is also in private practice. In addition, Dr. Matheis leads a mental health and support division at a premier school for children with autism or who have learning and behavioral challenges. She is also a consulting expert on autism for Parents.com.
