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KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI -- The drowning death this week of a  6-year-old autistic child has shined a light on the disorder.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. An estimated one in 88 American children has some form of Autism. That’s a 78% increase compared to a decade ago.

“They now call it an Autism Spectrum Disorder in which there are different types of autism where you have children that seem to be more impaired, as far as speech and communication, than those that don't seem to have it as much,” said Dr. Brett Moore a pediatric physician at Northeast Pediatrics in Kirksville. “The three main types on the spectrum include: classic autism, Asperger Syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder.”

So at what age are children with autism diagnosed?

"Normally it seems like whenever they are diagnosed they are past the age of three,” said Dr. Moore. “But with more and more research and awareness about autism, usually you can start to see hints most likely at 12-18 months of age."

According to recent research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, boys with autism continue to outnumber girls with the disorder five to one.

Experts say more children are being diagnosed because of more awareness and better diagnosis procedures.

“I think it largely has to do with the fact that we are more aware of what autism actually is and we are also expanding the diagnosis of what autism is,” said Dr. Moore. “Not only that, today we are broadening the definition of the different types of autism, so I think that’s where the higher numbers are coming from.”

So how do experts diagnose the disorder in a child?    

"Whenever there is testing done to actually diagnose autism, it’s usually done by a multi-disciplinary group that includes behavioral people, speech therapists, people that specialize in childhood development, and pediatricians,” said Dr. Moore. “It’s usually about a half day to a day long process in which they interact with a child and do different activities like imaginary play, and then they’ll all come back together and talk about it and make a decision on the diagnoses."

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. And, although the exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, researchers are trying to pin point it.

“There seems to be a genetic component of this. It does seem like some families tend to have more of it than others, but to say there is an actual hereditary cause or what the genetic link is, no one knows right now,” said Dr. Moore.  “As more and more research goes on, there does seem to be some genes that seem to be linked."

Once a child is diagnosed with autism, they have the disorder for the rest of their lives. In some cases, when they get older, their symptoms can become less severe.

“As children get older, if they started in therapy early on, then they are able to handle social situations and cope a lot better than those that didn’t start early on,” said Dr. Moore. “Of course, it also depends on the type of autism they have. So the one’s that are less severely affected, they will be able to handle it a lot easier, but it’s something they will have with them for the rest of their lives. At times, if they are put in a stressful situation they may revert back to more childlike behavior.”

Many parents are worried that some vaccines are not safe and my harm their baby or young child, but doctors say there is no link.

“No vaccine or component of any vaccine is responsible for the number of children who are currently being diagnosed with autism,” said Dr. Moore. “Benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks.”

Another interesting thing Dr. Moore mentioned was the leading cause of death in autistic kids.

“One of the top causes of death for children with autism is drowning,” said Dr. Moore. “No I’m not saying they are characteristically drawn to large bodies of water, but its one of the number one causes of death for kids with autism.”

A child diagnosed with autism isn’t the only one affected; the people around them are affected as well.

“For the child, it’s very difficult for them to engage in any kind of communication with other children and other people. A lot of times they seem to be very withdrawn and so not only does that affect them, but it also affects their family,” said Dr. Moore. “These families have a child that is having problems, and a lot of times they don’t know where to turn, if this is something new to them, and they aren’t aware of this. A lot of stress goes both into the child and family of children that this disorder.

If you have any questions or are concerned your child may be autistic you are urged to call your physician or you can contact Northeast Pediatrics in Kirksville at (660) 627-2229.