Autism diagnosis is on the rise in the United States, indicating that one in 31 people, one in eight years old, was identified in 2022 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
A report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that autism diagnosis has risen across the United States over the past decades. He also highlighted major changes. Black, Hispanic and Asian children were more likely to be diagnosed with autism than white children.
In 2000, CDC data shows that in 2000, one in 150 people were diagnosed with autism in the United States. By 2016, that number had jumped to one in 54. Then, in 2020 it rose again to one-thirty-sixth.
Now it has climbed even higher.
The CDC highlights how important this rise is to continue to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support services in all children with autism, especially among younger children and groups that have not been previously identified.
“As the nation's oldest grassroots autism organization, the American Autism Association is still committed to ensuring that prevalence data promotes equity and access rather than fear, misinformation, or political rhetoric.”
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“The increased prevalence may reflect several factors, including increased awareness, screening and improved diagnosis, especially in communities that were previously underrepresented through advocacy efforts to better support the autistic community,” the statement added.
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that affects brain development and can lead to communication problems, difficulties in social interactions, and a tendency to repeat certain patterns of behavior.
It can manifest in many different ways – some children may have mild challenges, while others need more support. Due to the wide range of symptoms and severity, autism is often described as a spectrum.
Although both genetics and environmental factors are thought to play a role, the exact cause of autism remains to be seen.
CDC's Autism and Developmental Disorders Surveillance Network, which tracks data from 16 US sites, found in 2022 that one in 31 people, 8 years old (32.2 per 1,000 people) had been identified with autism spectrum disorder.
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Prevalence varies significantly across regions, with Texas at the lowest at 9.7 per 1,000 and California at the highest at 53.1. Of the 11 sites that reported data in both 2020 and 2022, nine people had an increase in autism rate, an overall increase of 22.2%.
Boys are consistently diagnosed with autism at a much higher rate than girls. A 2022 report found that 8-year-old boys were 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls of the same age.
The report also highlights disparities across racial and ethnic groups. Autism rates were higher among Hispanics (33.0), who had a 27.7 rate compared to Asian or Pacific islanders (38.2 per 1,000), American Indian or Alaskan Natives (37.5), Black (36.6), and Hispanic (33.0).
The report also shows improved early identification.
Children born in 2018 were 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism by the time they turned 4 years old than those born in 2014.
“This rise in prevalence does not represent a 'motivation' as the story claims. It reflects advances in diagnostics and the urgent need for policy decisions rooted in science and the pressing needs of the autism community,” the Autism Association said.
“Early screening is important because early interventions are strongly associated with improved development, behavior and educational outcomes,” he added.
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