Statistics provided by Ventura County SELPA The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that one in every 110 American children has an autism spectrum disorder, representing a staggering 600 percent increase in prevalence in the nation over the last two decades.

Statistics also show that the number continues to grow at an average rate of about 13.5 percent annually across the nation.

But while Ventura County may experience increases in autism rates that are parallel to the United States as a whole, painting an accurate picture of the local landscape might be a more difficult task.

Fran Arner-Costello, director of programs and services at the Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), said children with autism make up about 11 percent of the 16,000 students with disabilities served by the county’s school districts.

“These are kids who meet the special education eligibility guidelines, which are different from a medical diagnosis of autism,” Arner Costello said. “It’s not a mental health diagnosis, so the guidelines are not as stringent. It’s more of an educational designation.”

As of December 2011, Ventura County SELPA provides special education services to 1,780 children and adults from infants to age 22 under the autism designation—7 percent more than the 1,659 people with autism it served in 2010.

“Some of the kids may have just a few characteristics—mild social and communication deficits,” Arner-Costello said. “Then some may be considered full-scale autistic, with extreme symptoms and more intensive social, cognitive and developmental needs.”

Ventura County SELPA is responsible for implementing special education in the county and ensuring students with identifi ed disabilities receive free and appropriate public education. The organization uses guidelines set forth in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and in California laws and regulations.

A child in need of special education is first assessed and given an individualized education plan (IEP), which outlines learning and development goals.

Arner-Costello said the IEP helps educators understand how severe a child’s symptoms are and identifies which tailored services will result in the most success.

“Then they get special education services,” Arner-Costello said. “They may be assigned a special education teacher or an occupational teacher or a speech teacher and a variety of behavior services. If a child needs these services to benefit from school, then the school district must provide it. But the IEP team decides what the child needs.”

What is autism?

According to Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization, “autism spectrum disorder” (ASD) and “autism” are general terms for a complex group of disorders dealing with brain development.

Largely characterized by diffi culties in social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication and by repetitive behaviors, ASDs include Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and Aspberger’s syndrome.

Some symptoms of autism— which can include delays in speaking, intellectual disabilities, limited motor skills and physical health issues—stem from problems in early brain development.

But the most obvious signs and symptoms of autism may not appear until a child is between 2 and 3 years of age, research shows.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that ASDs occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups and are about five times more likely to occur in boys than in girls.

Parents who have a child with autismhavea2to8percentchance of having a second child with an ASD. Furthermore, about one-third of parents of autistic children noticed a problem—various developmental delays—before their child’s first birthday, the CDC reports.

Autism on the rise

While government organizations report widespread increases in autism across the nation, experts are working to account for the rise.

Steven Graff, director of clinical services at the Tri-Counties Regional Center—the agency through which the state of California provides services and support to people with developmental disabilities in Ventura County—said the rise may be attributed to a number of factors.

“First of all we’re much better at diagnosing autism now,” Graff said. “We’re catching it younger and identifying it more accurately. That’s going to count for a huge percentage of the increase.”

Graff said environmental factors such as pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals that can affect fetal development also may contribute to an increase in autism.

“It’s not legitimate to say it’s rising only because of one thing,” Graff said. “If you’re looking at a minimum of three or four factors, there’s going to be a certain amount of overlap. It’s most definitely a multifactorial question.”

Still, Graff said the prevalence of autism in Ventura County has “absolutely increased.”

“It’s not just us,” he said. “It’s a worldwide issue.”

Help at home

While SELPA provides services to children with autism at school, TCRC provides state-funded support services to children and their families at home.

However, the regional center only provides support to those with full-syndrome autism or the most severe cases, Graff said.

“To be eligible for regional center services, a person has to be substantially disabled in three or more areas as defined in state regulations,” Graff said.

These areas include communication, self-care, self-direction, capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.

Because of TCRC’s more stringent eligibility requirements, the state provides home support services to only 1,058 children and adults throughout Ventura County, 843 of whom are under the age of 22, according to Graff.

Children under age 3 may qualify for early intervention services without a diagnosis if they demonstrate risks for disability through an assessment that is given by a trained behaviorist.

But for children over 3, TCRC requires a confirmed diagnosis of disability.

The regional center’s primary goal is to train parents how to understand and handle their children, Graff said.

“Some of these kids have disabling maladaptive behaviors or severe aggressive behaviors,” he said. “Through our in-home behavior service, we train the parents how to work with the child to anticipate the child’s wants and needs and decrease those maladaptive behaviors.”

Graff said the regional center, SELPA, local schools and families with autistic children work together as a team to cope with ASD in Ventura County.

“We want to be able to help those children and their families,” Graff said.

Part two will cover SB946, a recently passed California law securing medical insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy, and how treatment helps those with autism.