Apr 17, 2025
Autism diagnoses are continuing to increase in the United States, according to a new report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An estimated one in 31 8-year-olds was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2022, according to the report. To compare, one in 36 was diagnosed with ASD in 2020, the report found.
This is also a rise from the one in 150 children diagnosed with autism in 2000, CDC data shows.
Medical experts have previously told ABC News this increase is largely due to better awareness, better access to screening and services, and diagnosis of the wide range of autism spectrum disorder.
There is a wider recognition and a better understanding of what is now understood as autism/ASD, and the definition of what classifies as autism has broadened, according to experts.
For example, in 2013, doctors decided to fold Asperger's disease and other similar diagnoses into the autism classification.
The CDC report found ASD was 3.4 times more prevalent among boys at 49.2 children per 1,000 compared to 14.3 children per 1,000.
ASD is a spectrum, which means symptoms vary by person: some need little support in their daily lives, and some may need a great deal of support in performing day-to-day activities. Some may have advanced conversation skills and others may be nonverbal. READ MORE
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SOURCE: ABC News