CDC: More American children are now being diagnosed with autism — because of improvements in the screening process

The rate of children with autism in the United States has been increasing steadily since 2000, but two new reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight disparities in the types of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and setbacks in early detection.

In 2020, 1 in 36 children were diagnosed with autism by age 8, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — about 2.8%. This is higher than the prevalence of 1 in 44 children in 2018 and 1 in 150 children in 2000.

But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this long-term trend “has been largely explained by improvements in more fair identification of (autism spectrum disorder), especially for children in groups that have less access or face greater barriers to accessing services.” .”

For the first time, the diagnosis was more common among Asian, Black, and Hispanic children than among white children. The CDC researchers note that this shift “may reflect improved screening, awareness, and access to services among historically disadvantaged groups.” In fact, between 2018 and 2020, the prevalence of autism more than doubled among Asian, Black, and Hispanic children than it did among white children.

These findings are based on observational data from 11 communities participating in the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Network. The data is not nationally representative and varies widely by location – from a prevalence of 1 in 22 children in California to about half the number in Maryland. The CDC says more research is needed to understand this difference, which could be related to differences in the strategies used to identify and diagnose the condition.

However, some trends have remained constant.

The prevalence of autism is much higher among boys than among girls — in 2020, there was about four times the difference. But it was the first year that more than 1% of 8-year-old girls were diagnosed with autism.

Also, disparities continue to define autism in children who also have an intellectual disability. In 2020, more than half of black children with autism also had an intellectual disability, compared to less than a third of white children. According to the researchers, this finding indicates a need to better discover and assess developmental interests beyond cognitive ability.

In general, children with intellectual disabilities are more likely to develop autism early on. But early detection is important for all children with autism, as it helps connect them to helpful resources and interventions.

In recent years, good progress has been made in early detection of autism – a previous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that children born in 2014 were 50% more likely to receive an autism or special education diagnosis by age 4 than those who were born in 2010.

Another new report released Thursday by the CDC shows there was evidence of continued improvement in these trends through February 2020, but the trends reversed as the COVID-19 pandemic hit “sustained low levels” of autism assessments and identifications in most parts of the world. monitoring network.

In the first six months of the pandemic, there were 217 fewer evaluations per 1,000 4-year-olds than there were four years ago. There were also nearly three fewer identifications per 10,000 children, according to the CDC report.

“Disruptions caused by the pandemic in timely evaluation of children and delays in connecting children to the services and supports they need could have long-lasting effects,” said Dr. Karen Remley, director of the CDC’s National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “The data in this report can help communities better understand how the epidemic may affect early identification of autism in young children and anticipate future needs as these children get older.”