Federal officials announced Thursday that autism cases are on the rise again. The rate of U.S. cases of autism and related disorders has risen to about 1 in 88 children, up from the previous estimate of 1 in 110, the Washington Post reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report containing the data showed that the largest increases over time were among Hispanic and black children. Researchers said they suspected that some of this could be explained by better screening and diagnosis. "However, this finding explains only part of the increase over time, as more children were identified in all racial and ethnic groups," the report said.
From the CDC study:
ASDs Prevalence Changes by Race/Ethnicity, 2002-2008
The largest increases in prevalence over time were among Hispanic and black children:
White, non-Hispanic children: 70% increase
Black, non-Hispanic children: 91% increase
Hispanic children: 110% increase
Read more at the Washington Post.
Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.