| 'Soaring' autism identification rates |
One in 36 children was identified as autistic between 2018 and 2020, the most recent period data is available. In 2000, just one in 150 children was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The prevalence among four-year olds jumped 26% between 2018 and 2020, increasing even more in girls than boys, though boys are still about four-times more likely to receive a diagnosis than girls. For the first time, white children were less likely to carry the diagnosis than children of color, according to Andy Shih of the Autism Speaks advocacy group. "This increase is really fueled by us doing a much better job in identifying minority children with autism," he adds. The breakdown of autism diagnoses rates among eight-year-olds reveals that 3.3% of children of Asian or Pacific Island descent were identified, 3.2% of Hispanic descent, 2.9% of Black children and 2.4% of white, non-Hispanic children. The racial disparity also extends to the diagnosis of intellectual disability along with autism. Almost half of Black children with autism were also diagnosed with intellectual disability, compared with about 30% of children with autism who are white. This suggests Black children with autism but not intellectual disability are still being missed. Relatedly, a separate paper published Thursday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicates that the pandemic disrupted autism diagnoses for four-year-olds. Three years ago, during the early months of COVID, four-year-olds were less likely to be evaluated for or diagnosed with autism than eight-year-olds had been at the same age. It's not clear at present how quickly evaluations rebounded as the pandemic unfolded however.
