Going by the findings of a new research, published in the most recent issue of the journal Pediatrics, there has been a noteworthy rise in the number of children with autism - while the 13-year back figures showed that one in 2,500 children had autism, the 2009 figures revealed a rather disquieting situation of one in 91 children being autistic.

Commenting the figures pertaining to autistic children, the Hope Academy founders, Susan Sachs and Lisa Lane, remarked "We've seen a dramatic increase in children coming to us for services. Five years ago, the waiting list was 20 children. It's about 85 or 90 now."

According to experts, people suffering from Autistic Disorder, which is also referred to as Classic Autism, exhibit considerable delays in learning verbal and non-verbal language. Such individuals show notable shortfalls in terms of social skills and mostly display unusual behaviors, like repetitive actions.

Referring to the staggering increase in the number of autistic children, Kathi Lacy, associate director of policy for the state Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, said that not only has the awareness about autism increased over the years, but there has also been an expansion of the sphere pertaining to "what counts as autism."

Citing the example of Asperger's Syndrome, Lacy said that such disorders also fall in the autism category, thereby accounting for some part of the increase in the autism numbers.