A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published online on April 14, has revealed significant trends in autism prevalence among children in the U.S. The study, which was supported by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, analyzed data from 16 study sites across the country, including Maryland, and focused on children who were 4 and 8 years old in 2022.
The findings indicate that the overall autism prevalence among 8-year-olds in 2022 stood at 1 in 31, or 3.2%. In Maryland, the prevalence was slightly lower at 1 in 38 (2.6%) for 8-year-olds and 1 in 41 (2.4%) for 4-year-olds. The data for Maryland were gathered from five counties: Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, and Howard, consistent with previous years.
The CDC report highlighted several key trends observed in the data:
Racial and Ethnic Disparities: Black and Asian/Pacific Islander children had the highest rates of autism in Maryland.
Gender Differences: For the first time, the report found that the number of 8-year-old girls identified with autism surpassed 1%, with 1 in 93 girls being diagnosed. However, boys continued to have a higher prevalence of autism than girls across all study sites, although the gap was less pronounced in younger children.
Early Identification: The data showed progress in identifying autism at younger ages, both in Maryland and other study locations.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental disability marked by challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors, continues to be a focus of research and early intervention. The CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network has been tracking autism prevalence since 2000 for 8-year-olds, expanding to include 4-year-olds in 2018. The data, which are drawn from health, education, and early intervention sources, help paint a picture of autism trends across the country. However, the CDC notes that the ADDM Network does not represent a nationwide sample, and prevalence estimates can vary between sites.
The report revealed a wide range of autism prevalence estimates, with rates as low as 1% in Laredo, Texas, to as high as 5.3% in California in 2022.
The CDC’s report from 2020 marked the first time that the prevalence of autism among girls surpassed 1%. In the current report, the gender disparity remains, with 3.4 boys diagnosed with autism for every girl among 8-year-olds, and 2.8 boys for every girl among 4-year-olds. In Maryland, the ratio for 8-year-olds was 3.9 boys to every girl, and 2.6 boys to every girl among 4-year-olds.
The latest data also highlighted emerging racial and ethnic trends. In Maryland, Black children had the highest prevalence of autism among 8-year-olds (1 in 27), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander children (1 in 32), multiracial children (1 in 34), Hispanic children (1 in 35), and white children (1 in 52). These trends, first observed in Black children in Maryland in 2018, were echoed in the 2020 national report and confirmed as a nationwide finding in the 2023 study.
Elise Pas, PhD, a research professor at the Bloomberg School and a principal investigator for Maryland’s ADDM Network site, emphasized that autism is no longer thought to only affect white males. “This latest ADDM report, along with the one released in 2023, shows that autism impacts everyone—females and children from all racial and ethnic backgrounds,” she said.
Another key takeaway from the CDC report is the increase in early identification of autism. The study suggests that more children in the U.S. are being diagnosed by the age of 48 months, with recent births (e.g., 2018) showing higher rates of early diagnosis compared to children born earlier (e.g., 2014). In Maryland, the prevalence was similar among both 4-year-olds and 8-year-olds, indicating progress in early identification. Children who turned 4 in 2022 were 1.8 times more likely to be identified with autism by 48 months than those who turned 8.
Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD, an associate professor at the Bloomberg School and one of the principal investigators for Maryland’s ADDM Network site, noted that this data suggests early identification is improving. “We are identifying children earlier, which will lead to earlier support and ultimately help children achieve their full potential,” she explained.
The CDC’s ADDM Network has expanded in recent years, growing from 11 sites in 2020 to 16 sites in 2022. These include states such as Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. The Maryland site, hosted at the Bloomberg School’s Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, continues to monitor autism prevalence in children across the state’s five counties.
The latest CDC report underscores the ongoing shift in autism trends across the U.S., highlighting the importance of early detection, equitable access to services, and continued research to understand the factors contributing to these patterns.
You Might Be Interested In:
-
Music Therapy Intervention Improves Mental Health for Heart Failure and COPD Patients
-
Nature-Based Activities Improve Mental Health in Just Twelve Weeks
-
Qualified Midwifery Care Reduces Medical Interventions During Childbirth
