There was a 57 percent increase in the number of children identified with some form of autism since a similar study in 2002.
An estimated 1 in 68 children has an autism spectrum disorder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today, a 30% increase over its 2012 estimate of 1 in 88 children.
The rate works out to 14.7 children per 1,000 8-year-olds, the CDC said. The data shows that autism spectrum disorders are nearly five times more common in boys than girls, and more common in white children compared to African-American or Hispanic children.
The number of children identified as having an autism spectrum disorder ranged from 1 in 175 children in Alabama to 1 in 45 children in New Jersey.
Researchers reviewed records from community organizations that educate, diagnose, treat or provide services to children with developmental disabilities to arrive at the new estimate. Ref. CNN