One in 60 children have autism, says new research

New research by the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge has found that more children than previously thought may have a form of autism, with figures at one in 60.

Although many have not been diagnosed, it is thought that 216,000 children could suffer from the learning disability - nearly twice the figure accepted by the National Autistic Society (NAS), which is at one in 100, according to the Daily Mail.It is thought that the research could have an impact on the amount of funding for the learning disability, which already costs the UK £28 billion a year.Welcoming the research, Benet Middleton, from the NAS, told the newspaper: "It is very likely there are people affected by this complex condition who have been completely overlooked by education and health officials and remain undiagnosed."Autism researchers from the University of Washington recently found that the amygdala, a region of the brain dealing with recognition of other people's faces and emotions, remains activated for longer than those without the learning disability.

Craegmoor Healthcare, 24th Mach 2009