CDC: Autism Prevalence Was 32.2 Per 1,000 8-Year-Olds in 2022
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 16, 2025 -- The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 32.2 per 1,000 children aged 8 years across 16 sites in the United States in 2022, according to research published in the April 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Kelly A. Shaw, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted an active surveillance program to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of ASD and monitor timing of ASD identification among children aged 4 and 8 years in 2022. Sixteen sites conducted surveillance in 2022.
The researchers found that the prevalence of ASD was 32.2 per 1,000 children across 16 sites among children aged 8 years in 2022, ranging from 9.7 to 53.1 in Texas (Laredo) and California, respectively. The prevalence of ASD was 3.4 times higher among boys than girls (49.2 versus 14.3). ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children than among Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and multiracial children (27.7 versus 38.2, 37.5, 36.6, 33.0, and 31.9, respectively). At 11 sites, there was no association observed between ASD prevalence and neighborhood median household income (MHI); at five sites, higher ASD prevalence was associated with lower MHI. At 13 sites able to abstract records, the cumulative incidence of ASD diagnosis or eligibility by age 48 months was higher for children born in 2018 than those born in 2014.
"Prevalence of ASD among children aged 8 years was higher in 2022 than previous years," the authors write. "Increased identification of autism, particularly among very young children and previously underidentified groups, underscores the increased demand and ongoing need for enhanced planning to provide equitable diagnostic, treatment, and support services for all children with ASD."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Declining Childhood Vaccination May Increase Risk for Vaccine-Preventable Infections
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Declining childhood vaccination rates may increase outbreaks of eliminated vaccine-preventable infections within the United States, leading to a...
AACR: Incidence-Based Mortality Dropping for Young Women With Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- Incidence-based mortality (IBM) declined from 2010 to 2020 among women aged 20 to 49 years diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a study presented...
AACR: Nonsurgical Treatment Feasible for Mismatch Repair-Deficient Tumors
TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- A neoadjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade enables nonoperative management among patients with early-stage mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.