Autism Research Examined

Clusters of children with autism may be linked to parents' education.

The Los Angeles Times (1/5, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog reported that, according to findings appearing in the journal Autism Research, "UC Davis researchers searching for autism clusters in hopes of finding an environmental cause for the disorder have identified 10 clusters around" California. The clusters "are centered on regional developmental services centers in areas with highly educated parents, primarily Caucasians, with high incomes."
The San Jose Mercury News (1/6, Krieger) reports that the "correlation with parental education...eases fears that something specific is lurking in the soil or some families' genes." Researchers noted that although "genes are probably involved in autism...it is likely a very complex interaction." The study showed that "cases were less common among Latino and less-educated families."
Researchers found that parents "who were older when their child was born were also more likely to have autistic children, but parental age was not linked as strongly with autism as educational attainment," HealthDay (1/5, Thomas) reported. In fact, "parents who lived in the areas where autism was more prevalent were more likely to be college graduates or hold advanced degrees than parents who lived outside the clusters."