Autism Prevalence Rises To 2.3%, Up 0.4% Over Previous Estimates

In 2018, an estimated one in 44 (2.3%) 8-year-old children had autism spectrum disorder (autism). This estimate is 0.4% above from the previous 2018 estimated prevalence of one in 54 (1.9%), which was determined in March 2020. In this new prevalence estimate, children with autism were 50% more likely to have received an autism diagnosis or special education classification by 48 months of age than earlier cohorts.

The estimate is based on data from 11 communities participating in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Across the 11 ADDM communities, autism prevalence in 8 . . .