New numbers: about 1 in 45 diagnosed with Autism

But one reason could be that awareness of the condition has increased among both parents and health care providers, which has likely led to more children with the condition being identified, said Robert Fitzgerald, an epidemiologist in psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who was not involved in the research.

While the number of children diagnosed with autism went up, the number reporting children diagnosed with “other development delays” went down. Then they provided a list of 10 conditions, including autism alongside diabetes, arthritis, and others, and asked the parents to tell them which, if any, their child had.

About 1.25 percent of parents said their child had autism spectrum disorder in the earlier surveys.

As many as 1 in 45 American children may have autism spectrum disorder, says a new government study that suggests the prevalence of the condition that impairs communication and social skills has been dramatically undercounted.

While there may be an increase in the number of children with autism, Rosanoff said they have not seen an increasing number of requests for help.

It’s a hot topic in the US, with many parents and advocacy groups saying something must be happening to make so many kids develop autism.

“In contrast, the prevalence of other developmental disorders declined significantly from 4.84 percent based on 2011-2013 data to 3.57 percent based on 2014 data”, they wrote.

Against the background of growing awareness of the disorder and a push for earlier diagnosis and intervention, the latest count follows years of steady growth in autism’s measured prevalence.

Figuring out how many children have autism isn’t easy; as with other disabilities, labels have changed over time.

But the latest survey also reflects changes in surveying techniques created to prod parents’ memories for past diagnoses their children may have gotten. Many studies have shown vaccines do not cause autism, and CDC has promised to try to find out what is causing it. But she notes that the definition of autism is much broader today than it was decades ago.

But there can be significant benefits to being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Elliot explained. There have also been recent changes in the diagnostic criteria and symptoms used to describe ASD.

“We’re just changing a child’s diagnosis from, let’s say, intellectual disability and mental retardation to autism spectrum disorder”, he said.

“Probably the most important finding of this paper, which is hardly new, is that how one asks a question matters”, said Dr. Glen Elliott, chief psychiatrist and medical director of Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, Calif.

“One of the things that’s been really helpful about this study is they’re really trying to bring together data from multiple sources and start comparing”, she said. Autism spectrum disorder encompasses Asperger’s Syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder, along with autism.