Report on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

From the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD):
On March 24, 2023 CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries released the following findings in a report titled, “Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children Aged 8 Years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020.”
 
New NCBDDD Report on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
1 in 36 children aged 8 were identified with autism spectrum disorder in 2020.

From the Public Health Action section: “The continued increase among children identified with ASD, particularly among non-White children and girls, highlights the need for enhanced infrastructure to provide equitable diagnostic, treatment, and support services for all children with ASD.” They also recommend that additional research is needed to understand why the findings varied across network sites and then apply more effective identification procedures across states.

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 36 children (27.6 per 1,000 8-year-olds) were identified with ASD in this reporting period. 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. The number of children identified with ASD varied widely by community ranging from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California per 1000 children. This is based on diagnostic statements, special education classifications, and ICD codes, which varied by site.
  3. About 38.6% of children identified with ASD who had data on cognitive ability had average or above average intellectual ability (IQ greater than 85).
  4. Boys were almost 4 times (actual ratio was 3.8) more likely to be identified with ASD than girls. Overall prevalence was 43.0 among boys and 11.4 among girls. For the first time, prevalence among girls exceeded 10 per 1,000 children aged 4 years.
  5. Across racial groups, non-Hispanic White children were less likely (24.3) to be identified with ASD as were children of two or more races (22.9) than non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black; 29.3), Hispanic (31.6), and non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI; 33.4) children. ASD prevalence among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) children was 26.5). However, this varied across states.
  6. Intellectual disability (IQ below 71) varied by gender and race. Girls “were more likely to be classified as having an intellectual disability than boys with ASD (42.1% versus 36.9%).” “Black children were more likely than Hispanic and White children to be classified as having intellectual disability (50.8%, 34.9%, and 31.8%, respectively). The percentage of children with ASD and intellectual disability among A/PI, two or more races, or AI/AN children was 41.3%, 37.8%, and 34.8%, respectively.”
  7. The prevalence of ASD was lower among White children than among other racial and ethnic groups, reversing the direction of racial and ethnic differences in ASD prevalence observed in the past. Black children with ASD were still more likely than White children with ASD to have a co-occurring intellectual disability.
  8. About half (49%) of children identified with ASD were evaluated for developmental concerns by the time they were 3 years old.
  9. Even though children can be diagnosed as early as age 2, among children with ASD with a developmental evaluation, 78% were evaluated by age 36 months. First evaluations by age 36 months were similar by sex. Although similar by racial and ethnic groups, they were lower among Black (75.9%) children compared with Hispanic (79.8%) children.
  10. Overall, children born in 2016 were 1.6 times as likely to receive an ASD diagnosis or special education classification by 4 years (48 months) of age compared with children born in 2012.

Please keep in mind that as of March 2024, the program is in its 6th phase and has increased to 15 communities.

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