Autism soars 56% in five years

New figures have revealed that the number of schoolchildren who are classified as being autistic has soared by 56% in the last five years.

Data from the Department of Education shows that there are now 61,570 children in state-funded schools who are recorded as having some kind of autistic spectrum disorder, compared with 39,465 children five years ago. However, the rise has sparked concern with some experts suggesting that it may be down to parents trying to seek an advantage for their child rather than a genuine ailment.

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