Health News
Autism Very Common Among US Children
May 4, 2006
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered autism is very common among U.S. children. The first national survey of the condition found that up to one in every 175 children had the disorder.
Autism causes problems with learning, socializing, and behavior. This study by the CDC reveals that over 300,000 children aged 4 to 17 had autism in 2003-04. Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism.
The CDC analyzed data on 24,673 children whose parents took part in two separate government surveys on health in the United States to generate its first national estimate of the prevalence of autism.
These surveys affirm that autism has become a major public health concern.