Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), hereafter referred to as Autism (which includes Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified [PDD-NOS]), is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation.

​

Autism is prevalent across the world, although tracking rates can vary due to differences in reporting. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Prevalence Data & Statistics for Autism.

​

​

The report concluded:

• The prevalence of Autism had risen to 1 in every 31 – more than three times as great as the 2004 rate of 1 in 125.

• Children who receive an Autism diagnosis by age 4, are fifty times more likely to receive services.

• More White and Black children were identified with Autism than Hispanic children.

• Stigma, lack of access to healthcare services due to non-citizenship or low income, and non-English primary language are potential barriers to the early identification of Hispanic children and children of color with Autism.

• Boys are approximately 4 times more likely to have an Autism diagnosis than girls of the same age. However, recent research suggests that girls may not display characteristics of Autism in the same way as boys and might go undiagnosed because of their different presentation.

 

 

For additional facts & statistics about autism, click here, or visit the Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE).