Prevalence - Increasing Number of Children Identified
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts ongoing investigations and surveillance activities in selected communities and states to document increases and possible causative factors of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recent studies estimate that an average of 1 in 150 children in the United States have an ASD. ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. ASDs have been found to be four to seven times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. However, more information is needed on less studied populations and regions of the world. Up-to-date prevalence data can be found on the CDC's Autism Data & Statistics Web page.
On October 5, 2009, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published data on parental report of autism from the National Survey of Children’s Health, indicating that approximately 1 in every 100 children may be affected with an ASD. See Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the US, 2007. These findings, as well as recent findings from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network were addressed in an official CDC Statement on Autism Data (October 5, 2009). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also released a document for parents about the results the survey, entitled The Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (October 2009).
The CDC's MMWR Weekly Surveillance Summaries for February 9, 2007 features three reports on prevalence of autism spectrum disorders:
- Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 6 sites, United States, 2000
- Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 sites, United States, 2002
- Evaluation of a Methodology for a Collaborative Multiple Source Surveillance Network for Autism Spectrum Disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 sites, United States, 2002
The CDC's MMWR Weekly for May 5, 2006 featured a report entitled Mental Health in the United States: Parental Report of Diagnosed Autism in Children Aged 4-17 years: United States, 2003-2004, which summarizes an analysis of two nationally representative surveys on parental report autism, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH).
The California Department of Developmental Services's Autism Web site includes the following reports issued to the CA Legislature: (1) Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Changes in the California Caseload (An Update: June 1987 – June 2007); and (2) Epidemiology Report of Autism in California (2002).