Are There Pre and Peri-Natal Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders?
May Nawal Lutfiyya, PhD, Bevin Kiser, MA Student, Barbara Becker-Cottrill, EdD, and Jennifer McFarland, PhD. Autism Training Center, Marshall University, Hal Greer Blvd, Huntington, WV 25705, (304) 696-2831, lutfiyya@marshall.edu There is an impression that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is rising. Current ASD prevalence work in this country suggests nuclear prevalence rates as ranging from 13.23 to 40.0 and ASD prevalence estimates ranging from 26.66 to 67.45 per 10,000 children aged 3-10 years. While some scholars argue that better case identification has resulted in perceived higher prevalence rates, others suggest that the prevalence of the nuclear disorder remains within the earlier estimates but that the prevalence of the more broadly defined spectrum disorders are, in fact, increasing. Nevertheless, these prevalence debates have kept a spotlight on the disorders and remind us that despite their identification almost 60 years ago, the etiology of autism spectru
