According to new data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism among children in the United States is as high as 1.5 percent, or an average of one in 68 children is autistic. According to a 2012 CDC report, the figure was 1 in 88 children with autism. The new data shows a 30 percent increase compared to previous perceptions, meaning more children may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The new report also found that children with autism may have higher IQs than previously thought. Although some children with the disorder are intellectually challenged, about 46 percent of children with autism have an IQ at or above average (IQ above 85), compared to only one-third of children with the disorder a decade ago. The examples in the report are not national in scope and do not extend the results to the entire United States. But the researchers say it is the most detailed information available and represents the most likely accepted estimate. The results show a wider geographic range of children with autism, with one in 175 children in Alabama and one in 45 in New Jersey. This difference reveals, in part, differences in the way data are collected. In Alabama, for example, researchers were limited in accessing the children’s education records. Consistent with previous studies, the data showed that boys were five times more likely to have autism than girls, with one in 42 boys having the condition compared to one in 189 girls. White children have a 30 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with autism than black and Hispanic children. It is unclear whether the increase in the number of autism diagnoses is due to increased awareness of the disorder, or whether the prevalence of the disorder has actually increased. Or maybe it’s a combination of both. CDC director Colleen Boyle said social activists, health professionals, educators and children’s insurance workers should use the data to ensure that children with ASD are recognized early and provided with the services they need. Researchers found that most children are diagnosed after age 4. Early detection is the most powerful tool we have to make a difference in the lives of children with autism as early as possible, Boyle said. Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by a lack of social communication, limited social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. Research experts also caution that the most important thing parents can do is to keep up with their child’s development, and if you notice any problems in your child’s play learning and activities, take action immediately and never delay.