Rate of autism disorders climbs to 1 percent among 8-year-olds, say UAB, CDC researchers

Rate of autism disorders climbs to 1 percent among 8-year-olds, say UAB, CDC researchers  
A 57 percent increase in spectrum-disorder cases is dramatic  
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoaa-roa121709.php   
 
"Autism and related development disorders are becoming more common, with a prevalence rate approaching 1 percent among American 8-year-olds, according to new data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."