Autism diagnosis rates rise in new health report from US government

Advocates call for more research funds as study cites wider screening and better diagnosis behind increase in cases
autism diagnose medical
Christopher Astacio's daughter Cristina, 2, was recently diagnosed with a mild form of autism. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP

Autism cases are on the rise again in the US, largely due to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said Thursday.

The rate of US cases rose to about 1 in 88 children. The previous estimate was 1 in 110.

The new figure is from the latest in a series of studies that have been steadily increasing the government's autism estimate. This number means autism is nearly twice as common as officials said it was only five years ago and likely affects roughly 1 million US children and teens.


"We're not quite sure the reasons for the increase," said Coleen Boyle, a doctor with the centers for disease control and prevention.






The study also found that autism disorders were almost five times more common in boys. And that an increasingly large proportion of children with autism have IQs of 85 or higher — a finding that contradicts a past assumption that most autistic kids had IQs of 70 or lower.







But the numbers began to change dramatically after 2000, when Congress directed federal health officials to do more autism research, and the CDC started the larger study to see how common autism is.

The CDC is also studying the cause of autism, which has remained a mystery.

CDC researchers are looking at other possible factors, including illnesses that mothers had while they were pregnant with children who later were diagnosed as autistic. The researchers also are looking into medications that the pregnant women took and those their children took when they were young. The first results of that study are expected next year.

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