New Government Report Suggests 1 in 40 Kids Have Autism
November 26, 2018
By: Blythe Bernhard
Source: Disability Scoop
National survey results show as many as 1 in 40 U.S. children have been diagnosed with autism, continuing an upward trend.
Researchers estimate 1.5 million American children ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with the developmental disorder, for a prevalence rate of 2.5 percent. The figures published onlineMonday in the journal Pediatrics come from data collected through the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, a government survey of parents of more than 50,000 children across the country.
As part of the survey, parents were asked if a doctor or other health care provider had ever told them that their son or daughter had autism and, if so, they were asked if the child currently has the condition.