Autism Disorder Increases in U.S. Children, CDC Study Finds
U.S. autism prevalence has grown, according to a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, with about 1.7 percent of 8-year-olds affected in 11 states.
The study, based on 2014 research, again identifies New Jersey with the highest incidence. One in 34 children in that state, or 3 percent, fall on what’s called the autism spectrum, which encompasses a range of social, behavioral and learning disorders ranging from the barely noticeable to the profoundly debilitating.
Nationally, the prevalence has increased 150 percent since 2000, according to the study, which called autism “an urgent public-health concern.”...