The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has just released a new study that shows 1 out of 88 children in the US are now suffering from autism. This number is alarming as it shows a 23% increase within just two years and a huge 78% jump since 2000.

“One thing the data tells us with certainty – there are more children and families that need help,” CDC Director Thomas Frieden explained. “We must continue to track autism spectrum disorders because this is the information communities need to guide improvements in services to help children.”

According to the study, autism is higher among boys, with 1 in 54 boys identified with autism versus 1 in 254 girls. Also, within specific communities, disparity also exists: autism rates were lowest in Alabama with 1 out of 210 children diagnosed while rates are highest in Utah where 1 in 47 children had autism.

While there is need for concern, the increasing number could also be inflated due to better diagnosis and early detection. “Doctors are getting better at diagnosing autism; communities are getting much better at [providing] services to children with autism, and CDC scientists are getting much better at tracking which kids in the communities we’re studying have autism,” Frieden adds.

The causes of autism are still unknown. The previous belief that autism is linked to the MMR vaccine has been proven false, so current research is still ongoing.

“To understand more, we need to keep accelerating our research into risk factors and causes of autism spectrum disorders,” emphasizes Dr. Coleen Boyle, director of CDC’s Center on Birth Defects.

The CDC studies are conducted by analyzing 8-year-olds with autism within 6-14 diverse communities in the United States. The current numbers come from data collected in 2008 from 14 communities.

Watch the amazing BBC video below, “My Autism and Me.”