One in every 64 children could have autism, Cambridge researchers find
New research by the Cambridge University has revealed that there may be hundreds of thousands of children with autism in the UK who have not been diagnosed.
A study of schoolchildren in Cambridge has found that for every three children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder there are around two who have the condition but have not been given a formal diagnosis.
It is estimated that around one in 100 children between five-years-old and nine-years-old have autism, meaning there are around 500,000 in the UK. But when researchers carried out more detailed assessments of 11,700 children, they found the true prevalence could be as high as one in 64.
Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: “This is important research, which for the first time gives us an estimate of the number of people who don’t have an autism diagnosis but may be in need of support. Getting the right support at the right time is vitally important and access to appropriate diagnostic services is crucial.”
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