Politics & Government

CDC: 1 in 88 Affected by Autism

New study shows more kids diagnosed with developmental disorders

One in 88 children are affected by autism, according to a study released on Thursday by the .

Previous studies estimated about one in 110 children in America suffered from autism.

The number of children identified with developmental disabilities ranged from one in 210 children in Alabama to one in 47 children in Utah.  The largest increases were among Hispanic and black children.

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"One thing the data tells us with certainty – there are more children and families that need help," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a statement. "We must continue to track autism spectrum disorders because this is the information communities need to guide improvements in services to help children."

The study found that autism is five times more common among boys than girls. One in 54 boys are affected by autism spectrum disorders, while one in 252 girls do.

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Autism spectrum disorders are more commonly known as developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.

"This information paints a picture of the magnitude of the condition across our country and helps us understand how communities identify children with autism," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

The study also shows more children are being diagnosed by age three, an increase from 12 percent for children born in 1994 to 18 percent for children born in 2000.

"Unfortunately, 40 percent of the children in this study aren’t getting a diagnosis until after age 4. We are working hard to change that," said Coleen Boyle, the director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. 

"To understand more, we need to keep accelerating our research into risk factors and causes of autism spectrum disorders."

Read the full study on the CDC website.

Connect with Virginia-Highland Patch on Facebook and Twitter at @VaHiPatch. Get Patch in your inbox.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Virginia Highland-Druid Hills