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CDC Activities

• Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP)

• Children's Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD Study)

• Brick Autism Project

• Vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Funding for State Projects

• Publications

Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP)

CDC tracks the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and four other disabilities in a five-county area in metropolitan Atlanta (Georgia) through the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP).  [Read more about MADDSP]

We are now looking at information on children who had ASDs in 1996.  Based on our initial analysis of the information we gathered, 2-3 of every 1,000 children 3-10 years of age in metropolitan Atlanta had an ASD.  We will be putting more findings on this Web site in late 2002.

Children's Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD Study)

CDC is now planning the Children’s Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD Study), which will try to find factors that make it more likely that a child will have an ASD.  The study will include children who have an ASD as well as children who are developing normally.  The mothers of the children will answer questions about their pregnancies and about their children.  We will also look at medical records from when the mothers were pregnant and from when the children were born.  The children in the study will be evaluated by autism experts.

Brick Autism Project

In late 1997, a citizen’s group in Brick Township, New Jersey, told the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) of their concerns about what seemed to be a larger-than-expected number of children with autism in Brick Township.  Because of the complexity of the disorder and the citizens’ concern that environmental factors might play a role, the New Jersey DHSS contacted CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for help.  CDC and ATSDR worked together on a project to find out how common ASDs were in Brick Township and to study the possible relationship of environmental factors to ASDs in the community.

The findings of the Brick Autism Project are reported in the following materials: 

Reports: 

• Bertrand J, Mars A, Boyle C, Bove F, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Decouflé P.  Prevalence of autism in a United States population: the Brick Township, New Jersey, investigation.  Pediatrics 2001;108:1155-61.  [Read abstract]
   

• Public Health Assessment: Brick Township Investigation  
  [Read HTML version]
   

• Prevalence of Autism in Brick Township, New Jersey, 1998: Community Report 
  [Read HTML version]  [ Read PDF version]

  You will need Acrobat Reader to read this PDF file.  [Click here to get Acrobat Reader] 

Fact Sheets:

• CDC Examines Autism among Children  
  [Read graphics version]  [Read text version]  
   

• CDC/ATSDR Involvement in the Brick Township Autism Investigation  
  [Read graphics version]  [Read text version]  
   

• Investigation of the Prevalence of Autism in Brick Township - A Community Report 
  [Read graphics version]  [(Read text version]  
   

• Results of Brick Township Investigation of Environmental Pathways - A Public Health Assessment   
  [Read text version]  [Read graphics version]

Vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder

The CDC National Immunization Program's Web site includes many materials about vaccines and autism, including frequently asked questions about whether there is a relationship between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.  [Go to the immunization program's "Vaccines and Autism" web page]

CDC did a vaccine study as part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP).  The study compared the age at which children with an ASD got the MMR vaccine with the age at which children who do not have an ASD got the vaccine.  [Read a summary of the study on the Pediatrics journal Web site]  [Read more about MADDSP]

Funding for State Projects

CDC funds ASD-related projects in several states.  These state projects look at how common ASDs are in children.  Some of the projects also study what factors make it more likely that a child will have an ASD.  CDC provides technical support to all of the state projects to help them conduct their studies.  [Read more about state activities funded by CDC]

New funding opportunities for ASD-related projects can be found on the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Funding Opportunities Web page or the CDC Grants and Cooperative Agreements Web page.

Publications

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) staff have written scientific papers on ASDs.  These papers look at such topics as how common ASDs are and vaccines.  You can see a list of these papers (starting in 1990) by using the keyword search on the NCBDDD publications Web page.  Choose "autism" in the keyword box on the search page.  You can choose whether you want the list to be sorted by author or by date.  You can also choose to have the list appear with or without graphics.  Click on the Submit button.  You will see a list of papers that are about ASDs.  The list will include the complete reference for each paper and a link to an abstract of the paper or to the full text, when available.  [Go to NCBDDD publications keyword search page]

This page last updated Thursday, August 05, 2004

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The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, and enhances the potential for full, productive living.  Our work includes identifying the causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities, helping children to develop and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities.