National Autism Awareness Month

More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

• This marks a 23% increase since their last report in 2009. And, a 78% increase since their first report in 2007. Some of the increase is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed, and served in their local communities, although exactly how much is due to these factors in unknown.
• ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).
• The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110%) and black children (91%). Some of this increase is due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups. However, this finding explains only part of the increase over time, as more children are being identified in all groups.
• There were increases over time among children without intellectual disability (those having IQ scores above 70), although there were also increases in the estimated prevalence of ASDs at all levels of intellectual ability.
• More children are being diagnosed at earlier ages—a growing number of them by age 3. Still, most children are not diagnosed until after they reach age 4, even though early identification and intervention can help a child access services and learn new skills.

More information about ASDs can be found on many sites such as the CDC.gov and others.