The Prevalence of Autism in the US Has Tripled From 2013 to 2022

From 2013 to 2022, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children and adolescents in the United States has tripled from 1.25% to 3.79%, according to study results published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Previous research indicates that ASD is a major contributor to the global burden of disease, and its prevalence has increased in recent years – particularly in North America. In the present study, investigators conducted a cross-sectional study to characterize the long-term trends in the prevalence of autism in the US over the past decade.

The investigators used data collected between 2021 and 2022 from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to track temporal changes in ASD diagnoses among children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years. Diagnoses of ASD and demographic data were reported by parents or caregivers.

To estimate the 10-year trends in ASD prevalence from 2013 to 2022, researchers included 81,302 children and adolescents (51.02% boys; 51.76% non-Hispanic White), 2100 (77.33% boys; 56.28% non-Hispanic White) of whom had been diagnosed with ASD. For ASD prevalence from 2021 to 2022, 13,198 children and adolescents (50.96% boys; 49.79% non-Hispanic White) were included for analysis, 455 (76.04% boys; 51.21% non-Hispanic White) of whom were diagnosed with ASD.

The investigators found that the prevalence of autism among US children and adolescents increased from 1.25% (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.50%) in 2013 to 3.79% (95% CI, 3.24 to 4.35%) in 2022. A significant increase in prevalence was observed across most demographic subgroups (all P <.05), except for individuals with a family income-to-poverty ratio of 4 and higher.

In 2021, the weighted prevalence of ASD diagnosis was 3.05% (95% CI, 2.60 to 3.50%). This figure increased to 3.79% (95% CI, 3.24 to 4.35%) in 2022, resulting in an overall prevalence of 3.42% (95% CI, 3.06 to 3.78%) for the combined years of 2021 and 2022.

“In view of the long-term heavy burden brought by ASD and the 10-year rising trend of the prevalence found in this study, all sectors of society should pay close attention to it and propose effective management strategies,” the researchers concluded.

These findings may be limited, given the reliance on parent and/or caregiver-reported diagnoses of ASD.

This article originally appeared on Psychiatry Advisor