Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2016
- PMID: 32214087
- PMCID: PMC7119644
- DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6904a1
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2016
Erratum in
-
Erratum: Vol. 69, No. SS-4.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Apr 24;69(16):503. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6916a4. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020. PMID: 32324721 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Abstract
Problem/condition: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Period covered: 2016.
Description of system: 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 whose parents or guardians live in 11 ADDM Network sites in the United States (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). Surveillance is conducted in two phases. The first phase involves review and abstraction of comprehensive evaluations that were completed by medical and educational service providers in the community. In the second phase, experienced clinicians who systematically review all abstracted information determine ASD case status. The case definition is based on ASD criteria described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.
Results: For 2016, across all 11 sites, ASD prevalence was 18.5 per 1,000 (one in 54) children aged 8 years, and ASD was 4.3 times as prevalent among boys as among girls. ASD prevalence varied by site, ranging from 13.1 (Colorado) to 31.4 (New Jersey). Prevalence estimates were approximately identical for non-Hispanic white (white), non-Hispanic black (black), and Asian/Pacific Islander children (18.5, 18.3, and 17.9, respectively) but lower for Hispanic children (15.4). Among children with ASD for whom data on intellectual or cognitive functioning were available, 33% were classified as having intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] ≤70); this percentage was higher among girls than boys (39% versus 32%) and among black and Hispanic than white children (47%, 36%, and 27%, respectively) [corrected]. Black children with ASD were less likely to have a first evaluation by age 36 months than were white children with ASD (40% versus 45%). The overall median age at earliest known ASD diagnosis (51 months) was similar by sex and racial and ethnic groups; however, black children with IQ ≤70 had a later median age at ASD diagnosis than white children with IQ ≤70 (48 months versus 42 months).
Interpretation: The prevalence of ASD varied considerably across sites and was higher than previous estimates since 2014. Although no overall difference in ASD prevalence between black and white children aged 8 years was observed, the disparities for black children persisted in early evaluation and diagnosis of ASD. Hispanic children also continue to be identified as having ASD less frequently than white or black children.
Public health action: These findings highlight the variability in the evaluation and detection of ASD across communities and between sociodemographic groups. Continued efforts are needed for early and equitable identification of ASD and timely enrollment in services.
Conflict of interest statement
All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Zachary Warren reports personal fees from Hoffman La Roche, grants and personal fees from Adaptive Technology Consulting, grants from Autism Speaks, grants from Cognoa, and grants from Simons Foundation; all fees and grants received are outside the submitted work. John Constantino reports a grant from Western Psychological Services outside the submitted work.
Figures
![FIGURE 1](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/7119644/bin/ss6904a1-F1.gif)
![FIGURE 2](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/7119644/bin/ss6904a1-F2.gif)
![FIGURE 3](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/7119644/bin/ss6904a1-F3.gif)
Similar articles
-
Understanding the Barriers to Receiving Autism Diagnoses for Hispanic and Latinx Families.Pediatr Ann. 2022 Apr;51(4):e167-e171. doi: 10.3928/19382359-20220322-03. Epub 2022 Apr 1. Pediatr Ann. 2022. PMID: 35417307 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Methods to Decrease Disparities in Age of Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Access among Latinx Children.Soc Work. 2020 Apr 1;65(2):140-148. doi: 10.1093/sw/swaa012. Soc Work. 2020. PMID: 32248232 Review.
-
Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 Years - Early Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, Seven Sites, United States, 2010, 2012, and 2014.MMWR Surveill Summ. 2019 Apr 12;68(2):1-19. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6802a1. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2019. PMID: 30973853 Free PMC article.
-
Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2012.MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018 Nov 16;65(13):1-23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6513a1. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018. PMID: 30439868 Free PMC article.
-
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014.MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018 Apr 27;67(6):1-23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6706a1. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018. PMID: 29701730 Free PMC article.
Cited by
-
Neurobiology of cognitive abilities in early childhood autism.JCPP Adv. 2024 Jan 20;4(2):e12214. doi: 10.1002/jcv2.12214. eCollection 2024 Jun. JCPP Adv. 2024. PMID: 38827984 Free PMC article.
-
Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain activity and cortical functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders.Front Psychiatry. 2024 May 15;15:1407267. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1407267. eCollection 2024. Front Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 38812483 Free PMC article.
-
Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in mainland china over the past 6 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2024 May 29;24(1):404. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05729-9. BMC Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 38811881 Free PMC article.
-
Theories on the Link Between Autism Spectrum Conditions and Trans Gender Modality: a Systematic Review.Rev J Autism Dev Disord. 2024;11(2):275-295. doi: 10.1007/s40489-022-00338-2. Epub 2022 Aug 19. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. 2024. PMID: 38803560 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Characterization of a Clinically and Biologically Defined Subgroup of Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Identification of a Tailored Combination Treatment.Biomedicines. 2024 Apr 30;12(5):991. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12050991. Biomedicines. 2024. PMID: 38790952 Free PMC article.
References
-
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
-
- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2000 Principal Investigators; CDC. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, six sites, United States, 2000. MMWR Surveill Summ 2007;56(No. SS-1). - PubMed
-
- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2002 Principal Investigators; CDC. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 sites, United States, 2002. MMWR Surveill Summ 2007;56(No. SS-1). - PubMed
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Research Materials