Autism Prevalence on the Rise

Written by Gisela Ismaili

Edited by Ariana Khan

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), formerly termed autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms appearing in early childhood. ASD is a disability caused by differences present in children's brains. Individuals diagnosed with ASD behave and interact in ways that are different from other people.

Autistic individuals may have difficulties in communicating, socializing, and learning. ASD begins early in childhood, but it can vary among individuals. It generally begins before the age of 3 years, but in other cases, children can display symptoms as early as 12 months. The most widely encountered symptoms from autistic individuals are impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and a restricted range of interests. The presence of such symptoms throughout a person's life makes managing daily activities and tasks quite challenging.

The diagnosis is difficult because there is no established autism test or blood test that can reveal if a person is autistic or not. Instead, doctors observe children's behavior and their development to make diagnoses.

ASD is an area of intense interest for researchers, and thus far they have identified a range of genetic, environmental, and biological factors that contribute to the development of ASD in people. Although very little is known about the specific cause of ASD, risk factors such as having a sibling with ASD, having chromosomal conditions such as fragile X syndrome, and being born to older parents increases the chances of developing this disorder.

The main concern regarding this disorder is its prevalence which has been rapidly increasing. In 2023, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD, with boys being four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. The increased incidence does not necessarily mean that autism has become more common in children; it can be attributed to improved awareness and screenings (Anthes). Specifically, the rise was noticed among underrepresented groups such as Black, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander children (Anthes). These detectable patterns might indicate increased awareness and access to appropriate services among historically underserved groups. However, researchers suspect that genetic and environmental factors could also be impacting the rates. Researchers have extensively analyzed whether there is any link between vaccinations and autism over the past two decades since Andrew Wakefield, a former British doctor, falsely linked the MMR vaccine to causing autism in children. Research has concluded that there is certainly no link between vaccines to autism.

A possible optimistic standpoint is that due to more accessible services, children are getting diagnosed earlier and receiving the necessary treatments that can potentially improve their symptoms over time. Although there is no definite cause of ASD discovered yet, research has demonstrated some factors that people should consider carefully.

Take Action/References: Learn more about autism spectrum disorder using the resources below.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 9). What is autism spectrum disorder? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

• What is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8855-autism#:~:text=Autism%2C%20now%20called%20autism%20spectrum,are%20different%20from%20other%20people

• Anthes, E. (2023, March 23). Autism prevalence rises again, study finds. The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/health/autism-children-diagnosis.html