Rate of West Virginia students with autism has tripled since 2001

By Staff Writer

The number of West Virginia students who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has significantly increased over the last decade.

Since 2001, the reported number of autistic students in the Mountain State has tripled, according to the Charleston Daily Mail. During the 2001-2002 school year, approximately 400 students were diagnosed with autism. This year, more than 1,200 are currently diagnosed with an ASD.

Some school officials believe that better detection efforts have led to the state's higher numbers, the news source reports. One superintendent told the news source that his county schools currently have 161 autistic kids, compared to just 11 in 1997. He said that half of the teachers who work specifically with autistic children in his county lack the proper certification, and only 23 of the 42 aides have specialized training for the job.

"If I were a parent who had an autistic child, I would certainly want the best possible teacher in the classroom working with the child," a school board member told the news source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of one in 110 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with an ASD.