New Materials from CDC on Autism

There are a few new items worth checking out on the autism page of the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

**  Autism Case Training is a program to train health practitioners in "identifying, diagnosing, and managing autism spectrum disorders through real life scenarios." There are 5 training segments with lessons, videos and printable handouts. What I like best is the series of back-to-back videos showing development and behaviors of typical children versus that of children with autism. The training program was developed with pediatricians in mind, but it is valuable for others working with children with ASD.

**  The CDC's Seed II Study is conducting a large, multi-state study of the risk factors in autism and developmental delays. The study focuses on the differences in children ages 2-5 with and without autism. It looks at environmental factors, genetics and physiological data including saliva, blood samples and bowel activity.

** A report on the state of autism based on the large study that the CDC conducted in 2008 is also available.