US autism estimate rises to 1 in 68 children

The United States government's estimate of autism has moved up again, to 1 in 68 US children, a 30-percent increase in two years.

But health officials say the new number may not mean autism is more common. Much of the increase is believed to be froma cultural and medical shift, with doctors diagnosingautismmore frequently, especially in childrenwithmilder problems.

"We can't dismiss the numbers. But we can't interpret it to mean more people are getting the disorder," says Marisela Huerta, a psychologist at the New York-Presbyterian Center for Autismand the Developing Brain in suburban White Plains, NewYork.