Amador County - A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at U.C. Davis has identified ten regions in California with a higher prevalence of autism, including here in Amador County. The study found autism rates to be higher in families with highly educated, older parents, or in places located near autism treatment centers. Researchers used data collected from 2.5 million births in California between 1996 and 2000 to determine ten geographical areas, identified as clusters, in which there was a higher than usual prevalence of children with autism. The study identified 9,900 children over that five year period who were diagnosed with autism by age 6. Autism is a mysterious disorder of neural development characterized by impaired communication and social interaction and restricted or repetitive behavior. Karla Van Meter, the study’s lead author, told CBS News that “this is the first time anyone has looked at the geography of autism births in California in order to see whether there might be some local patches of elevated environmental risk.” She said this method ignores unknown widespread factors that could increase autism incidence. Parents who lived in these cluster areas were on average older and more likely to be college graduates. Parental age was not linked as strongly with autism levels, said Van Meter. She said the study “confirms what we already knew, which is that highly educated parents are more likely to have children with autism.” The link between a parents education level and autism is unclear, but this and other studies have provided plenty of theories. Van Meter said some believe better educated parents are more successful in seeking services for their children or there could be some physical or chemical exposure in their households. 6 of the ten clusters identified were in Southern California. In Northern California, clusters were identified at the Golden Gate Regional Center in San Francisco, serving Marin and San Mateo counties and the City and County of San Francisco; and at the San Andreas Regional Center in Campbell, serving Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. Two areas of increased incidence were identified at the Central Valley Regional Center, in Fresno, serving Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties; and the Valley Mountain Regional Center, in Stockton, serving Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. A December report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that national autism rates continue to rise. The report says one in every 110 children in the United States has been diagnosed with autism. The U.C. Davis study is included in the January 6 online issue of Autism Research. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.