Autism on the rise?

An alarming study has shown that:

Today, as many as one in 150 children are diagnosed with autism, up from three to four out of 10,000 a decade ago.

Although the study says it's hard to differentiate between better diagnostic tools and an actual rise, it seems to me that a rise of that magnitude, in only 10 years, is a truly alarming statistic. It's hard to really believe that it's just better diagnostics!

And, Seattle may be a leading center for autism research and treatment, but its therapists and the medical community can't handle the growing number of families dealing with the disorder (thus says the article in today's Seattle Times).

What can we do to help these families?