Materiały źródłowe

• #1 Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7082249/

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. […] There have been recent concerns about increased prevalence, and this article seeks to elaborate on factors that may influence prevalence rates, including recent changes to the diagnostic criteria. […] The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the international prevalence of ASD at 0.76%; however, this only accounts for approximately 16% of the global child population. […] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 1.68% of United States (US) children aged 8 years (or 1 in 59 children) are diagnosed with ASD. […] The prevalence of ASD in the US more than doubled between 2000-2002 and 2010-2012 according to Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) estimates.

• #1 Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | CDC

  https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html

  About 1 in 31 (3.2%) children aged 8 years has been identified with ASD according to estimates from CDC’s ADDM Network. […] ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. […] ASD is over 3 times more common among boys than among girls. […] CDC’s ADDM Network tracks the number and characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder.

• #1 Autism statistics and facts | Autism Speaks

  https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd

  1 in 31 children in the U.S. has autism, up from the previous rate of 1 in 36. […] 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. has autism. […] In the U.S., about 4 in 100 boys and 1 in 100 girls have autism. […] Boys are nearly 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. […] In the U.S., autism prevalence is lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups: White – 2.7%, Hispanic – 3.3%, Black – 3.7%, Asian or Pacific Islander – 3.8%, American Indian or Alaska Native – 3.8%. […] Around the world, 1 in 100 children are diagnosed with autism. […] These changes reflect an improvement in outreach, screening and de-stigmatization of autism diagnosis among minority communities. […] Autism can be reliably diagnosed by a specialist by age 2, but the average age of autism diagnosis in the U.S. is 5 years.

• #1

  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders

  Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a diverse group of conditions. […] It is estimated that worldwide about 1 in 100 children has autism. […] The prevalence of autism in many low- and middle-income countries is unknown. […] WHO’s efforts focus on: increasing the commitment of governments to taking action to improve the quality of life of people with autism; […] WHO Comprehensive mental health action plan 20132030 and World Health Assembly Resolution WHA73.10 for global actions on epilepsy and other neurological disorders calls on countries to address the current significant gaps in early detection, care, treatment and rehabilitation for mental and neurodevelopmental conditions, which include autism.

• #1 The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

  https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/library/global-epidemiology-and-health-burden-autism-spectrum-findings-global

  In 2021, one in 127 people globally were estimated to be autistic, substantially higher than the one in 271 estimated in 2019. […] High-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic people are necessary for service planners and resource allocators. […] An estimated 618 million individuals (one in every 127 people) were on the autism spectrum globally in 2021. […] Autism spectrum disorder accounted for 115 million DALYs, equivalent to 1476 DALYs per 100000 people (age-standardised) globally. […] Autism spectrum disorder was ranked within the top-ten causes of non-fatal health burden for people younger than 20 years. […] The high prevalence and high rank for non-fatal health burden of autism spectrum disorder in people younger than 20 years underscore the importance of early detection and support to autistic young people and their caregivers globally.

• #1 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by persistent impairments in social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities that can cause a wide array of difficulties in social interaction, communication, and participation in daily activities. […] The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance program that provides estimates of the prevalence of ASD among children aged 8 years. […] For 2020, across all 11 ADDM sites, ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California. The overall ASD prevalence was 27.6 per 1,000 (one in 36) children aged 8 years and was 3.8 times as prevalent among boys as among girls (43.0 versus 11.4).

• #1 Korean Clinical Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder – Clinical Features, Course, Epidemiology, and Cause

  https://www.jkacap.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5765/jkacap.230040

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous developmental disorder characterized by impairments in two core areas: 1) social communication and interaction and 2) restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests. […] The prevalence of ASD has increased from around 0.04% in the 1970s to 2.8% at present. […] The average age of diagnosis in developed countries is 38120 months of age. […] The prevalence of ASD has increased from around 0.04% in the 1970s to 2.8% currently, which could be attributed to differences in methodology, diverse sampling processes, and inconsistent case definitions and diagnostic criteria. […] Recently, the prevalence of ASD for ages 321 years in United States ranged from 1.5% to 2.3%. […] In addition, the prevalence for ASD among 518-year olds in Europe was estimated at 0.8% based on register-based studies and 1.4% based on population-based studies.

• #1 Epidemiology of autism – Wikipedia

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_autism

  This estimate is a 10% increase from the 1 in 59 rate in 2014, 105% increase from the 1 in 110 rate in 2006 and 176% increase from the 1 in 150 rate in 2000. […] ASD diagnoses continue to be over four times more common among boys (1 in 34) than among girls (1 in 154), and they are reported in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Studies have been conducted in several continents (Asia, Europe and North America) that report a prevalence rate of approximately 1 to 2 percent. […] A 2011 study reported a 2.6 percent prevalence of autism in South Korea. […] Although incidence rates measure autism prevalence directly, most epidemiological studies report other frequency measures, typically point or period prevalence, or sometimes cumulative incidence. […] Estimates of the prevalence of autism vary widely depending on diagnostic criteria, age of children screened, and geographical location.

• #1 Report to Congress 2014 – 2018 – Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder | IACC

  https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/report-to-congress/2018/prevalence.shtml

  CDC’s autism surveillance provides important information on the numbers of children affected with ASD and helps describe the characteristics of the population. Surveillance tracks trends over time and is an essential building block for population-based research providing clues about potential risk factors that warrant further study. Surveillance also provides critically important data for communities to use when planning for services. Ultimately, surveillance helps evaluate the progress of prevention and intervention programs. […] The ADDM Network has estimated prevalence of ASD among 8-year-old children every two years since 2000 in communities located in states across the United States; states that participated in at least one surveillance year include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Estimated ASD prevalence at age 8 has ranged from 1 in 150 children born in 1992 and 1994 to 1 in 68 children born in 2004. The ADDM Network published a new report for surveillance year 2014, showing that the estimated prevalence in 11 participating communities was 1 in 59 for 8-year-olds born in 2006.

• #1 Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7082249/

  Although it may be too early to comment on trends, in the US, the prevalence of ASD has appeared to stabilize with no statistically significant increase from 2014 to 2016. […] Changing diagnostic criteria may impact prevalence and the full impact of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria has yet to be seen. […] Insurance mandates requiring commercial plans to cover services for ASD along with improved awareness have likely contributed to the increase in ASD prevalence estimates as well as the increased diagnosis of milder cases of ASD in the US. […] ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but its diagnosis is far from uniform across these groups. […] Caucasian children are consistently identified with ASD more often than black or Hispanic children. […] ASD is more common in males but in a recent meta-analysis, true male-to-female ratio is closer to 3:1 than the previously reported 4:1.

• #1 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Overall, ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children (24.3) and children of two or more races (22.9) than among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI) children (29.3, 31.6, and 33.4 respectively). […] ASD prevalence was associated with lower household income at three sites, with no association at the other sites. […] For 2020, one in 36 children aged 8 years (approximately 4% of boys and 1% of girls) was estimated to have ASD. […] 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. […] The overall ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years was 27.6 (one in 36) and ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California.

• #1 Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7288022/

  The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically in recent decades, supporting the claim of an autism epidemic. […] Systematic monitoring of ASD allows estimating prevalence and identifying potential sources of variation over time and geographical areas. […] At present, ASD prevalence estimates are available worldwide, coming either from surveillance systems using existing health and educational databases or from population studies specifically performed. […] Data confirm a high variability in prevalence across the world, likely due to methodological differences in case detection, and the consistent increase of prevalence estimates within each geographical area. […] Studies that estimate ASD prevalence result in wide variability of prevalence rates that call for paying attention on possible reasons for the observed changes in prevalence, and advice for caution when claiming that there is an autism epidemic.

• #1 Autism spectrum disorder – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic

  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928

  Autism spectrum disorder has no single known cause. Given the complexity of the disorder, and the fact that symptoms and severity vary, there are probably many causes. Both genetics and environment may play a role. […] The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is rising. It’s not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or both. […] Autism spectrum disorder affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a child’s risk. These may include: […] Autism spectrum disorder care at Mayo Clinic. […] Autism spectrum disorder: Surveillance and screening in primary care.

• #1 Autism spectrum disorder: Highlights from the 2019 Canadian health survey on children and youth – Canada.ca

  https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder-canadian-health-survey-children-youth-2019.html

  According to the 2019 CHSCY, 1 in 50 (or 2.0%) Canadian children and youth aged 1 to 17 years were diagnosed with ASD. […] The crude prevalence of ASD varied across Canada, ranging from 0.8% in Saskatchewan to 4.1% in New Brunswick. […] Prevalence of ASD was highest in the lowest household income quintile (2.6% [2.1, 3.1]) and lowest in the highest household income quintile (1.1% [0.9, 1.4]). […] Just over half (53.7%) of children and youth with ASD were diagnosed between the ages of 0 to 4. […] Children and youth with ASD had less optimal general and mental health compared to those without ASD. […] Over two thirds (68.7%) of children and youth with ASD had another long-term health condition, compared to 21.9% of those without ASD. […] Close to three-quarters (73.3%) of children and youth with ASD had difficulty in at least one functional domain. […] More than three-quarters (78.1%) of school-aged children and youth with ASD had special education needs.

• #1 A comparison of machine learning algorithms for the surveillance of autism spectrum disorder | PLOS One

  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0222907

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coordinates a labor-intensive process to measure the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children in the United States. […] The surveillance case definition, which serves a different purpose than a medical diagnosis, allows the ADDM Network to identify children who have descriptions of the requisite behavioral features documented in their records, but do not necessarily have an ASD diagnosis. […] The ADDM network has yielded crucial insights into the epidemiology of ASD in terms of understanding prevalence, disparities in diagnosis, and the contribution of risk factors to the changes in prevalence over time. […] To explore ways of making the review process more efficient, Maenner et al. developed a machine learning algorithm for automatically determining whether children meet the ADDM surveillance case definition for ASD based solely on the text contained in their written evaluations.

• #1 Report to Congress 2010 – 2012 – Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder | IACC

  https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/report-to-congress/2012/prevalence.shtml

  In 2007, CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network published its first report of ASD prevalence. […] In December 2009, CDC and the ADDM Network published an updated report of ASD prevalence estimates. […] In March 2012, CDC and the ADDM Network published a third report of ASD prevalence estimates. […] Data from the 13 ADDM sites with results from both 2002 and 2008 surveillance years indicated a significant increase (78 percent) in identified ASD prevalence over this 6 year period. […] Access to appropriate educational and health services improves a child’s chance of being identified by the ADDM Network surveillance system, and disparities may be reflected in the observed prevalence among some groups. […] CDC has been working to develop methods to track the population characteristics of ASD in younger children.

• #1

  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/05/19/03-12396/building-capacity-for-population-based-surveillance-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-and-other

  Develop a collaborative, population-based epidemiologic surveillance system for ASDs including Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s Disorder and other developmental disabilities (e.g., MR, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision impairment, and/or epilepsy) with a minimum inclusion of MR, in eight year old children. […] Develop collaborative relationships with appropriate professionals and organizations and existing funded surveillance partners to establish a multiple-source methodology for case ascertainment that is compatible with current collaborative CDC methodology. […] Develop a plan for quality assurance procedures for abstraction and case review and to ensure that study protocols are followed. […] Develop an evaluation plan for estimating the validity and completeness of the surveillance system.

• #1 Enhancing Public Health Surveillance of Autism Spectrum Disorder through the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network | Research Funding

  https://researchfunding.duke.edu/enhancing-public-health-surveillance-autism-spectrum-disorder-through-autism-and-developmental

  This NOFO will fund recipient organizations to participate in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, a population-based, multiple source records-based surveillance system for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). […] The goal of ADDM is to provide estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of children with ASD, monitor disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, provide data to inform planning for resource and service needs, and foster activities to increase ASD awareness and reduce barriers to ASD identification. […] Recipients will be required to define a geographic surveillance area for activities, establish MOUs with multiple medical and education sources, obtain and review records, abstract data elements in accordance with established ADDM procedures, and provide clean record-level de-identified data that does not contain the 18 HIPAA variables to CDC.

• #1 Comparison of autism spectrum disorder surveillance status based on two different diagnostic schemes: Findings from the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program, 2012 | PLOS One

  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0208079

  A DSM-5 coding scheme for ASD surveillance was developed by an independent body of ADDM-affiliated experts and then adapted and refined by a CDC-led clinical workgroup. […] Clinicians reviewed records of 1,542 children for MADDSP surveillance year 2012 according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. […] This represents 90.0% concordance and 10.0% discordance on DSM-IV-TR/DSM-5 surveillance of ASD. […] Similar to ADDM data reported for the 2014 surveillance period, we found substantial agreement between DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 surveillance status of ASD in a sample of records reviewed for the 2012 surveillance period. […] These results suggest that the surveillance status of ASD based on DSM-5 criteria is largely comparable to that based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, and identifies children with similar demographic and intellectual characteristics.

• #1 National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (NASS) – Canada.ca

  https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/access-information-privacy/national-autism-spectrum-disorder-surveillance-system.html

  The National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (NASS) collects anonymized case-level data to examine and report Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence, characteristics and related outcomes. […] NASS collects case-level information on children with ASD from participating provincial and territorial partners, from administrative records.

• #1 Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance in Québec | Institut national de santé publique du Québec

  https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/publications/2422

  This report discusses the prevalence and the incidence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). […] The results show a constant growth in ASD over time. In 2014-2015, there were nearly 17 000 persons in Qubec between the ages of 1 and 17 who have been diagnosed with ASD. […] The prevalence of ASD varies considerably from one region to another, varying from 0.7% to 1.8% among persons aged 4 to 17 years. […] The lifetime prevalence measured by the QICDSS (1.4%) is relatively close to that of the Ministre de lducation et de lEnseignement suprieur (1.3%), making it possible to use linked medical and administrative sources to track ASD. […] The study of concomitant physical and mental illnesses during the first year of life and throughout life indicates, in general, a greater prevalence in persons with ASD when compared to the general population without ASD.

• #1 Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7288022/

  One important source of variation in prevalence estimates are the methodological differences in case definition and case-finding procedures. […] In particular, some studies are carried out on existing administrative databases such as special education data, health or social records of national registers for case identification, or specific condition registers. […] Other studies rely on a two-stage or multistage approach to identify cases in underlying populations; the first stage is often based on questionnaire requesting behavioural descriptions or checklist based on DSM. […] Finally, some studies are surveys based on interviews to parents or teachers, who are required to state if the child presents a condition that can be related to ASD. […] The high prevalence observed in 2006 in South Thames, consistent with that estimated in Cambridgeshire in 2003-2004 by a school-based population study, was very different from the prevalence in children aged 8 years estimated by administrative data from the UK General Practice Research Database.

• #1 Azthena logo with the word Azthena

  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230327/How-did-the-prevalence-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-change-before-and-during-COVID-19.aspx

  Post-six months of COVID-19 onset, the patterns reversed with 217 lesser assessments and 0.3 lesser cases identified among every 1,000 pediatric individuals four years of age compared to four years prior. […] For 2020, suspected ASD prevalence rates ranging between 0.5 in California and 10 in Arkansas among every 1,000 pediatric individuals of four years were observed. These were greater than in 2018 for Arkansas, Arizona, New Jersey, Utah, and Maryland. […] Based on the report findings, ASD prevalence among four-year-olds varied across sites, indicating differences in the early autism spectrum disorder detection practices in community settings. […] In 2020, across sites, the cumulative ASD incidence at four years of age was greater than among eight-year-olds, indicative of improvements in the earlier ASD identification.

• #1 CDC Releases New Autism Prevalence: 1 in 31 Children in the U.S. Identified with Autism – Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)

  https://autismcenter.org/autismprevalence/

  CDC Releases New Autism Prevalence: 1 in 31 Children in the U.S. Identified with Autism […] On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) reporting that about 1 in 31 8-year-old children in the U.S. were identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2022. This new rate is up from the reported 2020 prevalence of 1 in 36. […] According to the CDC, a total of 16 sites (located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas [two sites: Austin and Laredo], Utah, and Wisconsin) conducted surveillance for ASD among children aged 4 and 8 years and suspected ASD among children aged 4 years. Surveillance included children who lived in the surveillance area at any time during 2022.

• #1 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Overall, 11.6% of children with ASD had an ASD diagnosis or special education eligibility ruled out. […] The median age at first recorded evaluation ranged from 32 months in California to 44 months in Utah. […] The median age at earliest known diagnosis was 49 months (range = 36 months in California to 59 months in Minnesota). […] Findings from the ADDM Network 2020 surveillance year indicate higher ASD prevalence than previous estimates from the ADDM Network and continuing evidence of a marked shift in the demographic composition of children identified with ASD compared with previous years. […] These data indicate that ASD is common across all groups of children and underscore the considerable need for equitable and accessible screening, services, and supports for all children.

• #1 CDC Releases New Autism Prevalence: 1 in 31 Children in the U.S. Identified with Autism – Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)

  https://autismcenter.org/autismprevalence/

  In 2022, the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (ADDSP), one of 16 sites in the ADDM Network, identified about 1 in 32 8-year-old children with autism in Arizona. Findings from ADDSP help improve understanding of how many children have autism, their characteristics, and the age at which they are first evaluated and diagnosed. […] Among 8-year-old children with autism, 55.4% had received a comprehensive developmental evaluation by age 3. Additionally, boys were 3.5 times more likely than girls to be identified with autism. […] The autism prevalence in Arizona, and within all sites, tells an interesting story. Trends revealed through the updated report continue to raise awareness and urgency, while also casting a watchful eye on the significant changes in our healthcare systems, such as revisions in diagnostic criteria and efforts to improve early detection and screening.

• #1 Autism Spectrum Disorder

  https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/autism/?srsltid=AfmBOopPxqNtCB-OaUCgCHoloWqQY02dVgzVQ6mwDg9WAcWygCVCFzvc

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 children 8 years of age has been identified with a diagnosis of ASD. […] The AAP recommends that all children be screened for ASD at ages 18 and 24 months, along with regular developmental surveillance. Toddlers and children should be referred for diagnostic evaluation when increased risk for developmental disorders (including ASD) is identified through screening and/or surveillance. Children should be referred for intervention for all identified developmental delays at the time of identification and not wait for an ASD diagnostic evaluation to take place.

• #1 Autism screening | Autism Speaks

  https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-screening

  There is no medical autism test, like a blood test, to diagnose autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Instead, experienced medical professionals examine a person’s developmental history and behavior, interview and observe the person and their loved ones, and use professional screening and diagnostic tools to make a diagnosis. […] While an autism diagnosis can only be given by a health care professional, there are several screening tools that can alert parents, caregivers and autistic people to potential autism symptoms. Early screening for autism can impact access to services and supports, which in turn can influence future outcomes for autistic individuals. […] The screening tools below are designed to help identify children and adults who might have ASD. This list is not exhaustive and other tests are available. Please note that a positive result on a screening tool is NOT a diagnosis. A positive screening result should be followed by a thorough assessment by a health care professional.

• #1 Early detection for autism spectrum disorder in young children | Canadian Paediatric Society

  https://cps.ca/documents/position/asd-early-detection

  The etiology of ASD is not completely understood, though recent findings suggest an interplay among genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Strong risk factors for ASD include male sex and positive family history. Recurrence risk estimates for younger siblings of children with ASD range from 7% to 19% versus 1.5% in the general population. […] Developmental surveillance is a flexible process whereby knowledgeable clinicians gather relevant information over time from multiple sources (including parents and by direct observation) toward the goal of identifying and addressing developmental concerns, including those related to ASD. […] Developmental screening involves a brief assessment using a standardized measure to identify children at increased risk for delay or disorder. […] There have been several comprehensive reviews evaluating measures used as ASD screens, specifically for accuracy in particular test populations and contexts, and the evidence for (and against) their impact on age of diagnosis, access to intervention services, and long-term outcomes.

• #1 University of Minnesota

  https://ici.umn.edu/products/Vh4yhX6BTZukRAzAwEOpBw

  The objectives of our study were to (a) report how many children met an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) surveillance definition but had no clinical diagnosis of ASD in health or education records and (b) evaluate differences in demographic, individual, and service factors between children with and without a documented ASD diagnosis. […] Among 4,498 children, 1,135 (25%) had ASD indicators without having an ASD diagnosis. […] Factors associated with not having a clinical diagnosis of ASD were non-White race, no intellectual disability, older age at first developmental concern, older age at first developmental evaluation, special education eligibility other than ASD, and need for fewer supports. […] These results highlight the importance of reducing disparities in the diagnosis of children with ASD characteristics so that appropriate interventions can be promoted across communities.

• #1 University of Minnesota

  https://ici.umn.edu/products/Vh4yhX6BTZukRAzAwEOpBw

  Children who did not have a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) documented in health or education records were more likely to be non-White and have fewer developmental problems than children with a clinical diagnosis of ASD. […] All children with ASD symptoms who meet diagnostic criteria should be given a clinical diagnosis so they can receive treatment specific to their needs.

• #1 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Overall, ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years differed by racial and ethnic groups; prevalence among White children (24.3) was lower than prevalence among Black, Hispanic, or A/PI children (29.3, 31.6, and 33.4, respectively). […] In eight sites, ASD prevalence was not associated with census tract-level MHI, but in three sites (Arizona, New Jersey, and Utah), lower ASD prevalence was observed among children living in census tracts with higher MHI. […] The percentage of children with diagnostic statements, special education classifications, and ICD codes varied by site. […] The overall percentage of children with ASD who had a documented ASD special education classification was 65.2%. […] Among children with ASD, 37.4% ever had an evaluation report noting that ASD was suspected but not confirmed.

• #1

  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-023-06058-8

  Approximately one-in-55 adolescents in our area had ASD, in 2014, and one-in-4 16-year-olds with ASD was not diagnosed. A majority (3-in-5) of the adolescents with ASD had a co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorder. ASD under-identification and the high frequency of co-disorders in adolescents with ASD pose significant challenges to care and support. […] Epidemiologic studies of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have mainly focused on school-age children, showing a rise in prevalence over time in the United States (US) and worldwide. Not as much is known about the epidemiology of ASD among adolescents. […] This study provides ASD prevalence estimates by an active multiple-source method for a large diverse population of adolescents (1998 birth cohort, age: 16-years) residing in metro New Jersey, in 2014.

• #1 Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7082249/

  Several genetic diagnoses have an increased rate of co-occurring ASD compared to the average population, including fragile X, tuberous sclerosis, Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, among others; however, these known genetic disorders account for a very small amount of overall ASD cases. […] Other risk factors for ASD include increased parental age and prematurity. […] The increase in prevalence may also be due to changes in reporting practices.

• #1 Scholarly Article or Book Chapter | The Changing Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders | ID: sx61dx42k | Carolina Digital Repository

  https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/articles/sx61dx42k

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong impacts. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to ASD etiology, which remains incompletely understood. Research on ASD epidemiology has made significant advances in the past decade. Current prevalence is estimated to be at least 1.5% in developed countries, with recent increases primarily among those without comorbid intellectual disability. […] Epidemiologic investigations focused on nongenetic factors have established advanced parental age and preterm birth as ASD risk factors, indicated that prenatal exposure to air pollution and short interpregnancy interval are potential risk factors, and suggested the need for further exploration of certain prenatal nutrients, metabolic conditions, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We discuss future challenges and goals for ASD epidemiology as well as public health implications.

• #1 Autism: Epidemiology | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

  https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/autism/according-experts/epidemiological-surveys-autism-spectrum-disorders

  Since the first epidemiological survey of autism performed in 1966 in the UK, many epidemiological surveys of autism have been conducted worldwide in order to estimate the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in human populations and to identify factors associated with variation in that prevalence. […] Prevalence studies estimate the proportion of participants affected with ASD in a given population, at one point in time. Prevalence estimates are needed to help plan services and devise appropriate health and education policies. […] We updated a review of all surveys of ASD performed from 1966 to 2023. We only included studies with a sample size 5,000 and with a professional confirmation of the ASD diagnosis in participants. The 163 identified surveys were conducted in 38 countries.

• #1

  https://step2.medbullets.com/evidence/17367287

  Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex, lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions of largely unknown cause. They are much more common than previously believed, second in frequency only to mental retardation among the serious developmental disorders. Although a heritable component has been demonstrated in ASD etiology, putative risk genes have yet to be identified. Environmental risk factors may also play a role, perhaps via complex gene-environment interactions, but no specific exposures with significant population effects are known. […] Future epidemiologic research should focus on expanding population-based descriptive data on ASDs, exploring candidate risk factors in large well-designed studies incorporating both genetic and environmental exposure data and addressing possible etiologic heterogeneity in studies that can stratify case groups and consider alternate endophenotypes.

• #1 The epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders – Kaiser Permanente Division of Research

  https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/publications/the-epidemiology-of-autism-spectrum-disorders/

  Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex, lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions of largely unknown cause. They are much more common than previously believed, second in frequency only to mental retardation among the serious developmental disorders. […] Future epidemiologic research should focus on expanding population-based descriptive data on ASDs, exploring candidate risk factors in large well-designed studies incorporating both genetic and environmental exposure data and addressing possible etiologic heterogeneity in studies that can stratify case groups and consider alternate endophenotypes.

• #1 What Do We Know About the Causes of Autism?

  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/what-do-we-know-about-causes-autism-2025a1000aug

  The CDCs latest findings have prompted renewed scrutiny over why ASD prevalence continues to rise. […] CDC investigators noted several factors that may be driving the increase, including broader diagnostic criteria, greater awareness among parents and pediatricians, and improved access to specialized services. […] In April 2025, a meta-analysis of 202 studies including more than 56 million mother-child pairs showed that children born to mothers with gestational diabetes were 25% more likely to be diagnosed with autism. […] NIH is also investing $50 million to launch a comprehensive research effort aimed at understanding the causes of ASD and improving treatments by leveraging large-scale data resources and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

• #1 Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7288022/

  The database, activated in 1990 and storing medical records from the general practitioners, produced a much lower prevalence. […] The analysis of the literature on ASD prevalence studies published since 2014 confirms a high variability of prevalence estimates worldwide. […] This variability is still accompanied by methodological differences among the performed studies that concern how cases are detected, which population is involved in, and, to a lesser measure, how cases are defined. […] Studies from Australia, Canada, Oman, and USA and some European countries show a substantial increase of ASD prevalence estimates over the years especially at the turn of the 2010. […] However, the consistency of the increase over countries is masked by the high variability of the prevalence estimates over the continents, with a range from 0.8/1000 in the North, Sirajganj district of Bangladesh to 93/1000 in Japan.

• #1 Autism: Epidemiology | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

  https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/autism/according-experts/epidemiological-surveys-autism-spectrum-disorders

  The prevalence has increased over time, but it remains uncertain whether this reflects mostly artefacts of changing definitions and study methodologies as opposed to a genuine increase in the population incidence. […] Epidemiological surveillance of ASD is increasingly contemplated by public health agencies.

• #1 Report to Congress 2010 – 2012 – Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder | IACC

  https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/report-to-congress/2012/prevalence.shtml

  Continued monitoring of ASD among 8-year-olds, which we know is „peak prevalence,” or the age at which most children have been identified, is essential to understanding the complex changes occurring in ASD over time. […] Investigators from CDC and the ADDM Network recently completed an evaluation of the new (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for ASD to estimate the impact on prevalence estimates originally based on the last iteration (DSM-IV-TR) criteria.

• #2 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by persistent impairments in social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities that can cause a wide array of difficulties in social interaction, communication, and participation in daily activities. […] The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance program that provides estimates of the prevalence of ASD among children aged 8 years. […] For 2020, across all 11 ADDM sites, ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California. The overall ASD prevalence was 27.6 per 1,000 (one in 36) children aged 8 years and was 3.8 times as prevalent among boys as among girls (43.0 versus 11.4).

• #2 CDC Releases New Autism Prevalence: 1 in 31 Children in the U.S. Identified with Autism – Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)

  https://autismcenter.org/autismprevalence/

  CDC Releases New Autism Prevalence: 1 in 31 Children in the U.S. Identified with Autism […] On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) reporting that about 1 in 31 8-year-old children in the U.S. were identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2022. This new rate is up from the reported 2020 prevalence of 1 in 36. […] According to the CDC, a total of 16 sites (located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas [two sites: Austin and Laredo], Utah, and Wisconsin) conducted surveillance for ASD among children aged 4 and 8 years and suspected ASD among children aged 4 years. Surveillance included children who lived in the surveillance area at any time during 2022.

• #2 2020 Surveillance Data Suggests 1 in 36 8-year-olds Identified with Autism – Autism Research Institute

  https://autism.org/2020-surveillance-data-suggests-1-in-36-8-year-olds-identified-with-autism/

  2020 Surveillance Data Suggests 1 in 36 8-year-olds Identified with Autism […] In an analysis of 2020 data from nearly a dozen states, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that among 8-year-olds, 1 in 36 had been diagnosed with autism. […] The CDC reported shifts in racial and ethnic disparities in autism prevalence – for the first time in years of CDC data collection, non-white children are identified as having autism at higher rates than white children; […] The findings represent a nearly 20 percent increase over the 1 in 44 estimates based on 2018 data; […] Autism is nearly four times more prevalent in boys; among girls, prevalence is 1 in 88. […] A separate report from the CDC found that identification among 4-year-old children was disrupted during the pandemic closures in 2020, which may have implications for future prevalence data.

• #2 Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020 | MMWR

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

  Overall, ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children (24.3) and children of two or more races (22.9) than among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI) children (29.3, 31.6, and 33.4 respectively). […] ASD prevalence was associated with lower household income at three sites, with no association at the other sites. […] For 2020, one in 36 children aged 8 years (approximately 4% of boys and 1% of girls) was estimated to have ASD. […] 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. […] The overall ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years was 27.6 (one in 36) and ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California.

• #2 Autism spectrum disorder: Highlights from the 2019 Canadian health survey on children and youth – Canada.ca

  https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder-canadian-health-survey-children-youth-2019.html

  According to the 2019 CHSCY, 1 in 50 (or 2.0%) Canadian children and youth aged 1 to 17 years were diagnosed with ASD. […] The crude prevalence of ASD varied across Canada, ranging from 0.8% in Saskatchewan to 4.1% in New Brunswick. […] Prevalence of ASD was highest in the lowest household income quintile (2.6% [2.1, 3.1]) and lowest in the highest household income quintile (1.1% [0.9, 1.4]). […] Just over half (53.7%) of children and youth with ASD were diagnosed between the ages of 0 to 4. […] Children and youth with ASD had less optimal general and mental health compared to those without ASD. […] Over two thirds (68.7%) of children and youth with ASD had another long-term health condition, compared to 21.9% of those without ASD. […] Close to three-quarters (73.3%) of children and youth with ASD had difficulty in at least one functional domain. […] More than three-quarters (78.1%) of school-aged children and youth with ASD had special education needs.

• #2 U.S. Autism Rates Up 10 Percent in New CDC Report | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health

  https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2020/us-autism-rates-up-10-percent-in-new-cdc-report

  Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that finds the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 11 surveillance sites as 1 in 54 among children aged 8 years in 2016 (or 1.85 percent). This is a 10 percent increase from the most recent report two years ago when it was 1 in 59, and the highest prevalence since the CDC began tracking ASD in 2000. […] The Maryland-ADDM monitoring site is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. […] This is the seventh report by the ADDM Network, which has used the same surveillance methods each time. […] We need to know how many children have ASD in order to prepare our communities and services systems, says Li-Ching Lee, PhD, ScM, a psychiatric epidemiologist with the Bloomberg Schools departments of Epidemiology and Mental Health and the principal investigator for Maryland-ADDM.

• #2 Autism – Wikipedia

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or simply autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted, and inflexible patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as well as difficulties in social interaction and social communication. Increased estimates of autism prevalence since the 1990s are primarily attributed to broader criteria and increased awareness, although a true rise in prevalence is possible. The World Health Organization estimates about 1 in 100 children were diagnosed between 2012 and 2021, noting an increasing trend. Boys are diagnosed significantly more often than girls. Autism frequently co-occurs with ADHD, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. The Centers for Disease Control’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network reported that approximately 1 in 31 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism, based on data collected in 2022. In the UK, from 1998 to 2018, autism diagnoses increased by 787%. This is largely attributable to changes in diagnostic practices, referral patterns, availability of services, age at diagnosis, and public awareness, particularly among women.

• #2 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Primary Care Principles | AAFP

  https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2016/1215/p972.html

  Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by difficulty with social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interest, or activities. […] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) monitored network of 11 locations has described an autism prevalence of one in 68 children, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.5-to-1. […] The increase in ASD prevalence may be partially attributed to the evolving diagnostic criteria prior to the publication of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5), an increase in social awareness, and mandatory availability of treatments. […] The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded that current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for autism spectrum disorder in young children for whom no concerns of autism spectrum disorder have been raised by their parents or a clinician.

• #2 Epidemiology of autism – Wikipedia

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_autism

  The epidemiology of autism is the study of the incidence and distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A 2022 systematic review of global prevalence of autism spectrum disorders found a median prevalence of 1% in children in studies published from 2012 to 2021, with a trend of increasing prevalence over time. […] ASD averages a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio in diagnosis, not accounting for ASD in gender diverse populations, which overlap disproportionately with ASD populations. […] The number of children known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; it is unclear whether prevalence has actually increased; and as-yet-unidentified environmental risk factors cannot be ruled out. […] In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States (1 in 34 boys, and 1 in 144 girls) are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, based on data collected in 2016.

• #2 The Changing Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders – Kaiser Permanente Division of Research

  https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/publications/the-changing-epidemiology-of-autism-spectrum-disorders/

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong impacts. […] Research on ASD epidemiology has made significant advances in the past decade. Current prevalence is estimated to be at least 1.5% in developed countries, with recent increases primarily among those without comorbid intellectual disability. […] Epidemiologic investigations focused on nongenetic factors have established advanced parental age and preterm birth as ASD risk factors, indicated that prenatal exposure to air pollution and short interpregnancy interval are potential risk factors, and suggested the need for further exploration of certain prenatal nutrients, metabolic conditions, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. […] We discuss future challenges and goals for ASD epidemiology as well as public health implications.

• #2 Report to Congress 2014 – 2018 – Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder | IACC

  https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/report-to-congress/2018/prevalence.shtml

  Data from the ADDM Network show an increase in the identified prevalence of ASD between 2000 (6.7 per 1,000 children) and 2014 (16.8 per 1,000 children). […] In 2010, CDC funded six sites to expand ADDM methodology to younger children. Through Early ADDM surveillance of ASD among 4-year-old children, CDC can better understand the population characteristics of young children affected by ASD and better inform early identification efforts. […] In May 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) with revised diagnostic criteria for ASD. In 2014, investigators from CDC and the ADDM Network completed an evaluation of the new diagnostic criteria for ASD (DSM-5) to estimate the impact on prevalence estimates originally based on the last iteration (DSM-IV-TR) criteria.

• #2 Comparison of autism spectrum disorder surveillance status based on two different diagnostic schemes: Findings from the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program, 2012 | PLOS One

  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0208079

  In its publication of the DSM-5 in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association made considerable changes to ASD diagnostic criteria that influence CDC ASD surveillance methods. […] For the first time, the ADDM Network reported prevalence estimates based on both DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 criteria in the 2014 surveillance period. […] No study has replicated ADDM DSM-IV-TR versus DSM-5 surveillance estimates in other independent samples of surveillance records. […] The study sample was 8-year-old children who had health and education records reviewed for ASD surveillance in metropolitan Atlanta, GA in the 2012 surveillance year as a part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP). […] MADDSP is an on-going records-based surveillance system that monitors the prevalence of selected developmental disabilities among 8-year-old children in five counties of metropolitan Atlanta, GA.

• #2 Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7288022/

  The source of identification (teacher; parent; professionals), the lack of blindness of the assessor, the multi-phasing of the study, and the case definition all represent potential biases that may affect the prevalence estimate obtained by population studies. […] Finally, methodological differences across studies could not fully account for the large variation among the prevalence estimates.

• #2 Azthena logo with the word Azthena

  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230327/How-did-the-prevalence-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-change-before-and-during-COVID-19.aspx

  Persistently fewer ASD evaluations and case identifications post-COVID-19 onset indicate healthcare evaluation disruptions associated with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak through 2020. […] Further research assessing the impact of COVID-19-associated disruptions in ASD identification and evaluation could aid in developing mitigation strategies to prevent disruptions.

• #2 Autism statistics and facts | Autism Speaks

  https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd

  The average age of first intervention in the U.S. is 4.7 years. […] The average age of diagnosis for children in lower income households is 4.7 years compared to 5.2 years in higher income households. […] 74% of autistic students in the U.S. graduate with a diploma, versus 86% of all students. […] 19% of autistic students in the U.S. graduate with a certificate. […] 8% of autistic students in the U.S. don’t finish high school, versus 5% of all students. […] Only 21% of people with disabilities, including autism, are employed. […] Nearly 60% of people with autism in the U.S. are employed after receiving vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. […] 70% of eligible autistic individuals in the U.S. receive VR. […] 50% of autistic youth in the U.S. who receive VR begin those services in high school. […] The average costs of common autism services in the U.S. are: Adaptive behavior – $82.25, Developmental screening – $165.95, Emergency department – $1,397.22, Physical therapy – $74.99, Psychiatry – $253.40, Speech/Language – $174.80, Therapeutic behavioral – $175.44.

• #2 Korean Clinical Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder – Clinical Features, Course, Epidemiology, and Cause

  https://www.jkacap.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5765/jkacap.230040

  In Korea, estimated prevalence of ASD according to DSM-5 was 2.20%. […] Given the lack of data from low and middle income countries, the WHO estimated the global prevalence of autism to be approximately 1% in 2012. […] Previous studies have shown that ASD is 34 times more common in males than females in hospitalized patients, and female patients with ASD have more severe intellectual disability. […] The risk factors for ASD are presented in Table 1. […] While parents usually concern about their child’s development at around 1824 months of age, the average age of diagnosis in developed countries is 38120 months. […] In underdeveloped countries or population groups with no health insurance or poor access to healthcare, the age of diagnosis can be much later. […] The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends universal screening for ASD at 18 and 24 months, and regular developmental monitoring at 9, 18, and 30 months during well-child visits.

• #2

  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-023-06058-8

  Approximately one-in-55 adolescents in our area had ASD, in 2014, and one-in-4 16-year-olds with ASD was not diagnosed. A majority (3-in-5) of the adolescents with ASD had a co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorder. ASD under-identification and the high frequency of co-disorders in adolescents with ASD pose significant challenges to care and support. […] Epidemiologic studies of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have mainly focused on school-age children, showing a rise in prevalence over time in the United States (US) and worldwide. Not as much is known about the epidemiology of ASD among adolescents. […] This study provides ASD prevalence estimates by an active multiple-source method for a large diverse population of adolescents (1998 birth cohort, age: 16-years) residing in metro New Jersey, in 2014.

• #2 What is autism

  https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism

  Autism is not a learning disability or a mental health condition. But around a third of autistic people also have a learning disability. And autistic people are more likely to experience mental health problems. […] Autistic people are disabled. Disability is a 'protected characteristic’ in UK law. This means autistic people have legal protections against discrimination. It also means they are entitled to the support they need in education, at work or to access services. […] Some autistic people prefer not to say that autism is a disability. Instead, they say autistic people are disabled by the barriers they face in society. This is the social model of disability. Many describe themselves as neurodivergent as well as, or instead of, disabled.

• #2 Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance in Québec | Institut national de santé publique du Québec

  https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/publications/2422

  With 75 deaths observed over a period of 15 years, the mortality rate among persons with ASD is three times higher than in the general population without ASD. […] The information contained in this report provides an unprecedented view of ASD in Qubec based on the new monitoring indicators developed under the framework of the QICDSS and offers many new paths for future research. These include, notably, the exploration of the etiology of ASD, the higher mortality observed with this disorder, and the study of the variation in health services availability and the prevalence of ASD.

• #2 Early detection for autism spectrum disorder in young children | Canadian Paediatric Society

  https://cps.ca/documents/position/asd-early-detection

  The etiology of ASD is not completely understood, though recent findings suggest an interplay among genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Strong risk factors for ASD include male sex and positive family history. Recurrence risk estimates for younger siblings of children with ASD range from 7% to 19% versus 1.5% in the general population. […] Developmental surveillance is a flexible process whereby knowledgeable clinicians gather relevant information over time from multiple sources (including parents and by direct observation) toward the goal of identifying and addressing developmental concerns, including those related to ASD. […] Developmental screening involves a brief assessment using a standardized measure to identify children at increased risk for delay or disorder. […] There have been several comprehensive reviews evaluating measures used as ASD screens, specifically for accuracy in particular test populations and contexts, and the evidence for (and against) their impact on age of diagnosis, access to intervention services, and long-term outcomes.

• #2 The epidemiology and global burden of autism spectrum disorders | Psychological Medicine | Cambridge Core

  https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/epidemiology-and-global-burden-of-autism-spectrum-disorders/1F9C6FD6968D8B09231F2C35E70A46E8

  In 2010 there were an estimated 52 million cases of ASDs, equating to a prevalence of 7.6 per 1000 or one in 132 persons. After accounting for methodological variations, there was no clear evidence of a change in prevalence for autistic disorder or other ASDs between 1990 and 2010. Worldwide, there was little regional variation in the prevalence of ASDs. Globally, autistic disorders accounted for more than 58 DALYs per 100 000 population and other ASDs accounted for 53 DALYs per 100 000. […] ASDs account for substantial health loss across the lifespan. Understanding the burden of ASDs is essential for effective policy making. An accurate epidemiological description of ASDs is needed to inform public health policy and to plan for education, housing and financial support services.

• #2 JMIR Public Health and Surveillance – GapMap: Enabling Comprehensive Autism Resource Epidemiology

  https://publichealth.jmir.org/2017/2/e27/

  Comprehensive regional autism prevalence rates would be extremely helpful for determining the true prevalence of autism and correlating genetic and environmental factors with higher standards of significance. In particular, comparing geographic trends in prevalence rates with autism resource epidemiology would be invaluable in revealing patient care deficits. […] Finding these resource gaps, regions in which there are limited diagnostic or treatment resources with respect to the demand, can support pushes for congressional change with hard data, allocate resources more efficiently, and provide information to emerging organizations and businesses to let them know where their services are most needed. […] We will define resource load (RL) as a measure of how well a center can meet the resource demand placed on it.

• #2 Scholarly Article or Book Chapter | The Changing Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders | ID: sx61dx42k | Carolina Digital Repository

  https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/articles/sx61dx42k

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong impacts. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to ASD etiology, which remains incompletely understood. Research on ASD epidemiology has made significant advances in the past decade. Current prevalence is estimated to be at least 1.5% in developed countries, with recent increases primarily among those without comorbid intellectual disability. […] Epidemiologic investigations focused on nongenetic factors have established advanced parental age and preterm birth as ASD risk factors, indicated that prenatal exposure to air pollution and short interpregnancy interval are potential risk factors, and suggested the need for further exploration of certain prenatal nutrients, metabolic conditions, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We discuss future challenges and goals for ASD epidemiology as well as public health implications.

• #2 A comparison of machine learning algorithms for the surveillance of autism spectrum disorder | PLOS One

  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0222907

  We discuss ways in which these models may be used effectively to enhance autism surveillance. […] For surveillance purposes, accuracy or F1 scores may have less practical importance than the number of positive calls, which public health practitioners often use to generate model-based prevalence estimates. […] Given the interpretability of its feature importances, these two results suggest that the random forest stands out as a good candidate for surveillance applications among the models that we evaluated. […] Although more sophisticated models do not appear to be necessary for improving the autism surveillance workflow, these and other deep models could be useful in the general sense for other public health applications.

• #2 Autism: Epidemiology | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

  https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/autism/according-experts/epidemiological-surveys-autism-spectrum-disorders

  The prevalence has increased over time, but it remains uncertain whether this reflects mostly artefacts of changing definitions and study methodologies as opposed to a genuine increase in the population incidence. […] Epidemiological surveillance of ASD is increasingly contemplated by public health agencies.

• #3 2022 Surveillance Data Suggests 1 in 31 Identified as Autistic – Autism Research Institute

  https://autism.org/prevalence2025/

  2022 Surveillance Data Suggests 1 in 31 Identified as Autistic […] In an analysis of 2022 data across 16 sites, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that among 4 to 8-year-olds, 1 in 31 were diagnosed autistic. […] The prevalence of autism among children in the United States was updated this week, with the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating that 1 in every 31 children was diagnosed with the condition in 2022. […] The CDC reported shifts in racial and ethnic disparities in autism prevalence – for the first time in years of CDC data collection, non-white children are identified as having autism at higher rates than white children; […] The findings represent a nearly 20 percent increase over the 1 in 44 estimates based on 2018 data;

• #3 What Do We Know About the Causes of Autism?

  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/what-do-we-know-about-causes-autism-2025a1000aug

  The latest surveillance data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a steep rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), extending a years-long trend of increasing diagnoses. […] The CDC regularly compiles data on ASD prevalence through the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. The findings are considered to be among the most reliable snapshots of autism rates in children. The CDCs most recent data from the 2022 ADDM surveillance cycle are based on 393,353 8-year-olds across 16 US sites. […] The CDC report shows that ASD affects 1 in 31 children (32.2 per 1000), up from 1 in 36 in 2020 and 1 in 150 in 2000. ASD continues to be more common in boys than girls (ratio 3.4:1). […] ASD prevalence was higher among Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and Hispanic children than White children, continuing a pattern first observed in 2020.

• #3

• #3 The epidemiology of autism spectrum disorder and factors contributing to the increase in its prevalence. | EBSCOhost

  https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=11053992&AN=157317419&h=%2Bi0vayz0J6O6%2B42ba%2FAptJra7OBB8%2FsTNmPQk5lynjuA0T5nbGEIFE52lWMbBs3UGaT19VKi1utfFfDwEc%2B7Cg%3D%3D&crl=f

  Many countries have no epidemiological data on ASD and several epidemiological studies on ASD record significant methodological limitations, but the currently available data indicate that the prevalence of ASD has risen over the years. […] The interpretation of this trend remains uncertain, but several factors have been documented that may have contributed to this apparent increase, including revision of the diagnostic criteria, overdiagnosis, scientific advances, accessibility to services, increase in social awareness, and improvement in the methodology applied in the epidemiological studies, in addition to environmental and other factors.

• #3 Autism statistics and facts | Autism Speaks

  https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd

  1 in 31 children in the U.S. has autism, up from the previous rate of 1 in 36. […] 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. has autism. […] In the U.S., about 4 in 100 boys and 1 in 100 girls have autism. […] Boys are nearly 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. […] In the U.S., autism prevalence is lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups: White – 2.7%, Hispanic – 3.3%, Black – 3.7%, Asian or Pacific Islander – 3.8%, American Indian or Alaska Native – 3.8%. […] Around the world, 1 in 100 children are diagnosed with autism. […] These changes reflect an improvement in outreach, screening and de-stigmatization of autism diagnosis among minority communities. […] Autism can be reliably diagnosed by a specialist by age 2, but the average age of autism diagnosis in the U.S. is 5 years.

• #3 2023 clinical practice guidelines on autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents in Singapore – Annals Singapore

  https://annals.edu.sg/2023-clinical-practice-guidelines-on-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-children-and-adolescents-in-singapore/

  Co-occurring conditions are common in autism and should be considered when symptoms and signs of conditions are present, independent from the core features of autism. […] Long-term prognosis in autism has been associated with the presence of intellectual disability, childhood language development and severity of features of autism.

• #3 What Do We Know About the Causes of Autism?

  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/what-do-we-know-about-causes-autism-2025a1000aug

  The CDCs latest findings have prompted renewed scrutiny over why ASD prevalence continues to rise. […] CDC investigators noted several factors that may be driving the increase, including broader diagnostic criteria, greater awareness among parents and pediatricians, and improved access to specialized services. […] In April 2025, a meta-analysis of 202 studies including more than 56 million mother-child pairs showed that children born to mothers with gestational diabetes were 25% more likely to be diagnosed with autism. […] NIH is also investing $50 million to launch a comprehensive research effort aimed at understanding the causes of ASD and improving treatments by leveraging large-scale data resources and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

• #3

• #3 The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

  https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/library/global-epidemiology-and-health-burden-autism-spectrum-findings-global

  In 2021, one in 127 people globally were estimated to be autistic, substantially higher than the one in 271 estimated in 2019. […] High-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic people are necessary for service planners and resource allocators. […] An estimated 618 million individuals (one in every 127 people) were on the autism spectrum globally in 2021. […] Autism spectrum disorder accounted for 115 million DALYs, equivalent to 1476 DALYs per 100000 people (age-standardised) globally. […] Autism spectrum disorder was ranked within the top-ten causes of non-fatal health burden for people younger than 20 years. […] The high prevalence and high rank for non-fatal health burden of autism spectrum disorder in people younger than 20 years underscore the importance of early detection and support to autistic young people and their caregivers globally.

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