(Paul Penzella/Staff Artist)
Children born to well-educated parents appear to have a greater chance of being diagnosed with autism, according to a study that surprised researchers at the University of California, Davis.
In a statewide study of geographic factors that might contribute to the disorder, researchers found 10 localized clusters - including the Torrance area - where the incidence of autism was more than double that of surrounding areas.
The researchers and others, however, say that it is likely that more children of well-educated parents are being diagnosed - not that their incidence of autism is any higher.
"In general, these areas tend to have more resources," said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Autism Research. "We were still very surprised at how consistent this educational finding was."
Another factor associated with higher education is that these parents tend to wait longer to conceive; older mothers are more prone to having kids with autism, the researcher said.
All of these areas, most in small, confined pockets of Southern California, had fewer Latino residents than the general population, researchers found.
The study compared birth records of children from 1996 to 2000, and the rate of autism diagnosed in these children six years later. They looked at specific areas served by the state's Regional Centers, which provide state-funded educational and medical support to families of autistic children.

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The researchers looked at smaller clusters within these regions, as well. They found the Torrance and beach cities areas to have high rates of autism, along with pockets served by the South-Central Los Angeles Regional Center, including Gardena and Carson.
In the Torrance-based Harbor Regional Center area, there were 108,292 births from 1996 to2000, and 675 children diagnosed with autism, according to the study. The autism rate was about 62 children per 10,000 births, nearly twice that of neighboring South Los Angeles.
The statewide average was about 40 autistic children per 10,000 births.
"This does seem consistent with our sense that families that are more aware and informed seem to have more regular visits with pediatricians, they ask questions if they have concerns, and they obtain a diagnosis and treatment plan," said Nancy Spiegel, a spokeswoman for the Harbor Regional Center.
The local center oversees treatment for about 2,500 autistic children who need varying levels of care and support.
Other clusters of autistic children were located in the Culver City region, the Golden State region near San Francisco, the North Los Angeles area including the San Fernando and Antelope valleys and the Orange County region in Santa Ana.
A separate study at UC Davis is now under way to determine if environmental factors such as pollution or pesticides have any effect on rates of autism, and researchers will look closely at the clusters identified this week, Hertz-Picciotto said.
She also noted that autism doesn't appear to be an over-diagnosed phenomenon in these clusters. It is more likely that the developmental disorder is not being recognized in other areas, and that parents in these regions aren't seeking outside help.
"We also have to consider that some people may be afraid of going to a state agency to seek help," she said, referring to undocumented residents.
Because the study used birth certificates as a basis for data-gathering, the clusters are not a result of families migrating into certain areas to seek better care, the authors said.
Rose Hein, a Manhattan Beach parent whose teenage son was diagnosed with autism at age 2, said she wasn't surprised by the findings.
"We come into contact with people all the time who have autistic children," said Hein, who has been active in organizing sports leagues and services for autistic children.
The local area has resources to help these children, she said - but that wasn't always the case. She and other parents had to fight for educational and recreational services, said Hein, who is now raising money to open a ranch where kids with autism and other disabilities can live and work.
"No matter who it is, it is extremely tragic," she said.
melissa.evans@dailybreeze.com