CHICAGO (AP) - The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is reporting three child suicides in as many weeks in the state, which is causing alarm among child welfare officials.

According to DCFS, seven children committed suicide in Illinois between 2002 and 2006, the most recent period for which data is available.

Agency spokesman Kendall Marlowe says it is wrong to believe young children can't commit suicide.

The Cook County medical examiner ruled a 10-year-old boy who killed himself at his Evanston school on Feb. 3. One day later, an 11-year-old boy died in Chatham. According to DCFS, an 11-year-old girl was found dead late Wednesday in her home.

Paula Clayton of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says parent and teachers should look for changes in a child's behavior, such as sleeping more or eating less, that may signal depression. She says action should be taken.