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By Tom Randall and Ellen Gibson Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) — Autism rates increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006, part of a decade-long surge of cases as doctors and parents become more aware of the disorder. About 1 in every 110 8-year-olds in the U.S. had autism spectrum disorder in 2006, according to a report today released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. While more cases are being identified as people become aware of the disorder, a rise in the number of kids at risk “cannot be ruled out,” the CDC said. Autism is a brain disorder that muddles a person’s ability to communicate. Diagnoses have ballooned in the last few decades for the disease that was considered before 1980 to be a rare condition affecting 1 in 2,000 children, according to the CDC. That’s left parents frustrated by a condition with unknown causes and few treatments. “The prevalence is just shocking,” said Bob Wright, co- founder of Autism Speaks, a non-profit advocacy group in New York. “The good news is that the problems autism creates — the learning and communication disabilities — can be greatly helped in a large percentage of cases if a child gets early access to therapies.” Autism spectrum disorder encompasses three diagnoses: autistic disorder, unspecified pervasive development disorder and Asperger syndrome. The conditions vary in severity and symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. Patients have trouble making eye contact, comprehending facial expressions, and learning to share and follow instructions. They show compulsive interests or behaviors such as repeatedly stacking blocks or lining up rows of toys. Autism Rates Rates of autism ranged from 4.2 cases per 1,000 children in Florida to 12.1 cases per 1,000 in Arizona and Missouri, according to today’s report. Researchers culled autism rates from education and health records in a surveillance network spanning 11 states. The study looked at 8-year-olds, because most autism has been identified by that age, according to the report. “The economic and emotional burden placed on families is just incredible,” said Lee Grossman , chief executive officer of the Autism Society of America, an advocacy group in Bethesda, Maryland. The symptoms of autism are treated through speech and behavioral therapies. Some doctors use antipsychotic medicines to help control outbursts and focus attention to enable autistic children to remain in school. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co ., based in New York, received regulatory approval in November for its mood-stabilizing drug, Abilify, to treat irritability associated with autism. Abilify, to treat irritability associated with autism. In 2006, Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was the first company to receive specific clearance for a drug, Risperdal, to treat autistic children. To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net .