Project Description:
The Colorado Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Program is a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and JFK Partners. CDPHE is the lead agency for this application. The catchment area will include the seven-county, Denver Metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties) with an eight-year-old population of 34,689 based on the 2003 post-censal estimate.
In an effort to better understand the prevalence and population characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), CO ADDM plans to continue to conduct multiple-source surveillance of eight-year-old children. We are also applying for supplemental funding to begin surveillance of four-year-old children. The activities and methods for this project will follow the MADDSP model. CO ADDM plans to request records from clinical, school, and other sources that provide evaluation services for children with ASD, conduct residency checks, review and abstract records if triggers are present, review composite records for DSM-IV criteria and determine final case status. The goals of this project include: 1) enhance our current population-based epidemiological surveillance system of ASD among eight-year-old children; 2) begin surveillance among four-year-old children; and 3) collaborate with other ADDM Network partners on a common protocol by working collaboratively through committees and workgroups. Under this funding, we will complete surveillance results for two birth cohorts during the project period. This project's use of a team of clinicians and researchers experienced in epidemiology and autism maximize the likelihood that its findings will be useful to the public health, clinical and scientific communities.
