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The number of children in the United States being diagnosed with autism has rocketed in recent years, a new study finds.
Researchers Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, in China, found that 3.49 percent of U.S. children and adolescents – or around one-in-every-30 – had autism in 2020.
This is a sharp 52 percent rise from the 2.29 percent of youths in America that had the condition in 2017.
While the research team did not give an exact reason for the jump, many experts have speculated the increase is related to parents better understanding early signs their child has autism and more surveillance for the condition.
Researchers, who published their findings Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics, gathered data from the annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
The survey, which is conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducts household interviews and targeted screenings to find more about the health of the average household.
In 2014, the NHIS found that 2.24 percent of children and adolescents in America had autism.