One In 44 Kids Diagnosed With Autism In The U.S., New Research Finds

According to new research, one in 44 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism.

The age that children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with autism is getting younger and younger, NBC New reports. The new information comes after researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data from 2018 that was gathered from almost a dozen states. They found that 8-year-olds had a one in 44 probability of being diagnosed with the developmental condition.

According to autismsociety.com, autism is a lifelong developmental disability that can impact a person’s communication, social skills, and relationships. It typically appears in the earlier stages of childhood.

On Thursday, the CDC released another report that stated that children were 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism by age 4 in 2018 than in 2014, NBC News reports. Researchers believe there is a lack of readily available services contributing to the growing number of autism cases amongst children.

“There is some progress being made, and the earlier kids get identified, the earlier they can access services that they might need to improve their developmental outcome,” said CDC researcher and co-author Kelly Shaw. The CDC reports that data shows there are higher rates of autism in “urban” communities, NBC News reports.