Wisconsin Surveillance of Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities System
The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is
funding surveillance activities in 12 states, including Wisconsin, to develop
programs to monitor the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and
other developmental disabilities. The goal of the ADDM Network is to provide
comparable, population-based estimates of the prevalence of autism and other
developmental disabilities at different sites over time. The combined data from
the various ADDM sites can help inform researchers about the possible causes of
ASDs or factors contributing to the apparent increase in ASD diagnoses. In
addition, the ADDM Network seeks to conduct education and outreach activities
to increase public awareness and lead to improvements in how individuals with
ASDs are identified and receive appropriate interventions. For more information, please see: www.cdc.gov/autism.
The Wisconsin
Surveillance of Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities System (WISADDS) is a
multisource investigation to monitor the number of 8-year-old children in the
population with an ASD, or cerebral palsy (CP), or both. This surveillance
system will help establish an accurate count of the number of children and
families residing in Wisconsin affected by these disorders. This project is a collaboration
between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and investigators from the
Waisman Center and Department of Population Health Sciences of the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. WISADDS is a joint undertaking with CDC and other state
partners, agencies and organizations that serve children with developmental
disabilities and their families.
What part of Wisconsin
is in WISADDS? The study covers the following
counties of southeastern Wisconsin—Dane, Green, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee,
Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Walworth, and Waukesha. Approximately 34,000 babies are
born in these counties each year, and about half of the state’s population
resides in these counties. WISADDS is also monitoring the number and
characteristics of 4-year old children with an ASD in the counties of Rock and
Dane.
How many people 3
through 21 years of age are classified as having autism by the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction? During the
2010–2011 school year, 8,255 (.9%) of Wisconsin’s public and private school
students were classified as having autism and received special education
services. The number of children residing in Wisconsin and receiving special
education services for autism more than doubled from 2002 through 2010.
How common are ASDs among
children who live in Wisconsin? The 2006 surveillance
year data found that 7.6 per 1,000 children were identified with an ASD. From
the first surveillance year (2002) through 2006, identified ASD prevalence
increased by 46% in Wisconsin. The
increase was primarily in children of families with a high socioeconomic status
and this increase contributed to the growing socioeconomic disparities in
autism prevalence in Wisconsin. You can
read the report in its entirety at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5810a1.htm. The corresponding community report is
available at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/states/ADDMCommunityReport2009.pdf.
For further information, please contact:
Carrie Arneson, MS
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Waisman Center, Rm. A142
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
PHONE: (608) 263-8222 FAX: (608) 265-3441
E-MAIL: clarneso@wisc.edu
