Autism Diagnoses Rise Among U.S. Children, CDC Finds [View all]
Source: Bloomberg News
By Elizabeth Lopatto - Mar 20, 2013 12:01 AM ET
About 2 percent of American school children were diagnosed with autism disorders in 2011 and 2012, a 72 percent increase from the previous five years, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The current statistics were compared with the CDC’s 2007 report that found 1.16 percent of children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed on the autism spectrum, according to their parents. Most of the increase was due to more diagnoses of milder autism disorders, the Atlanta-based agency said.
The current data show that 1 in 50 children have been diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, such as Asperger’s syndrome. The conditions are characterized by difficulty with communication, social functioning and by unusual responses to sensory information.
“Changes in ascertainment of autism spectrum disorders could occur because of changes in autism spectrum disorders awareness among parents or health-care professionals, increased access to diagnostic services, changes in how screening tests or diagnostic criteria are used, or increased special education placements in the community,” the authors wrote.
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Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-20/autism-diagnoses-rise-among-u-s-children-cdc-finds.html
STUDY LINK: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr065.pdf
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