Report on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

From the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
March 28, 2014
 
New NCBDDD Report on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
1 in 68 children were identified with autism spectrum disorder.

New data from the NCBDDD website shows that the estimated number of children identified with autism spectrum disorder continues to rise, and the picture of ASD in communities has changed. CDC encourages partners to use information from the ADDM Network in their local communities and across the country to move forward initiatives, policies, and research that help children with ASD.

Today, CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries released the findings in a report titled, “Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children Aged 8 Years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010.”

To read the full report, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention home page, and search “Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years.”

Read below for 10 Things You Need To Know About NCBDDD’s Latest Report

1. About 1 in 68 children (14.7 per 1,000 8-year-olds) were identified with ASD. It is important to remember that this estimate is based on 8-year-old children living in 11 communities. It does not represent the entire population of children in the United States.
2. This new estimate is roughly 30% higher than the estimate for 2008 (1 in 88), roughly 60% higher than the estimate for 2006 (1 in 110), and roughly 120% higher than the estimates for 2002 and 2000 (1 in 150). We don’t know what is causing this increase. Some of it may be due to the way children are identified, diagnosed, and served in their local communities, but exactly how much is unknown.
3. The number of children identified with ASD varied widely by community, from 1 in 175 children in areas of Alabama to 1 in 45 children in areas of New Jersey.
4. Almost half (46%) of children identified with ASD had average or above average intellectual ability (IQ greater than 85).
5. Boys were almost 5 times more likely to be identified with ASD than girls. About 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls were identified with ASD.
6. White children were more likely to be identified with ASD than black or Hispanic children. About 1 in 63 white children, 1 in 81 black children, and 1 in 93 Hispanic children were identified with ASD.
7. Less than half (44%) of children identified with ASD were evaluated for developmental concerns by the time they were 3 years old.
8. Most children identified with ASD were not diagnosed until after age 4, even though children can be diagnosed as early as age 2.
9. Black and Hispanic children identified with ASD were more likely than white children to have intellectual disability. Previous research has shown that children identified with ASD and intellectual disability have a greater number of ASD symptoms and are a younger age at first diagnosis. Despite the greater burden of co-occurring intellectual disability among black and Hispanic children with ASD, these new data show there was no difference among white, black, and Hispanic children in the age at which children were first diagnosed.
10. About 80% of children identified with ASD either received special education services for autism at school or had an ASD diagnosis from a clinician. This means that the remaining 20% of children identified with ASD had symptoms of ASD documented in their records, but had not yet been classified as having ASD by a community professional in a school or clinic.