Facts and Statistics About Autism Spectrum Disorder

In 2020, the US CDC reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to 2016 data.

- The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is 1 in 34 males.

- The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is 1 in 144 females.

- Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

- Most children are still diagnosed after age 4, although autism spectrum disorder can be diagnosed reliably by age 2.

- 31% of children with autism spectrum disorder have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] < 70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71-85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above-average range (i.e., IQ > 85).

- Autism affects all ethnic, social, and economic groups.

- Minority groups tend to be diagnosed later more often.

- Early intervention provides the best opportunity to support healthy development and deliver benefits across the lifespan.

- There is no medical detection for autism spectrum disorder to date.

What causes autism spectrum disorder?

- Research indicates that genetics plays a major role in many cases.

- Children born to older parents are at higher risk for autism spectrum disorder.

- Parents who have a child with autism spectrum disorder have a 2 to 18 percent chance of having a child with autism spectrum disorder.

- Studies have shown that among identical twins, if one child has autism, the other child will be affected about 36 to 95 percent of the time. In non-identical twins, if one child has autism disorder, the other child is affected about 31 percent of the time.

- Over the past two decades, extensive research has questioned whether there is any link between childhood vaccines and autism. The results of this research are clear: vaccines (immunizations) do not cause autism.

Intervention and support:

Early intervention can improve learning, communication, and social skills, as well as underlying brain development.

- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and therapies based on its principles are the most researched and most commonly used behavioral interventions for autism.

- Many children with autism spectrum disorder also benefit from other interventions such as speech and occupational therapy.

- Developmental regression, or loss of skills such as language and social interests, affects approximately 1 in 5 children diagnosed with autism. This usually occurs between 1 and 3 years of age.

Associated challenges:

It is estimated that one third of people with autism spectrum disorder are nonverbal (non-speaking)

- 31% of children with autism spectrum disorder have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] < 70) with significant challenges in daily functioning, and 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71-85).

- Nearly half of individuals with autism wander or bolt from a safe place.

- Nearly two-thirds of children with autism aged 6 to 15 have been bullied.

- Nearly 28 percent of 8-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder engage in self-injurious behaviors, the most common of which are head-banging, arm-biting, and skin-scratching.

- Drowning remains a leading cause of death for children with autism, accounting for approximately 90 percent of deaths associated with wandering or slipping away by those aged 14 and under.

Associated medical and mental health conditions:

Autism can affect the whole body.

- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects an estimated 30 to 61 percent of children with autism spectrum disorder.

- More than half of children with autism have one or more chronic sleep problems.

- Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 11 to 40 percent of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

- Depression affects an estimated 7% of children and 26% of adults with autism spectrum disorder

- Children with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to have one or more chronic gastrointestinal disorders than other children.

- Up to one third of people with autism spectrum disorder have epilepsy (seizure disorder).

- Studies suggest that schizophrenia affects between 4 and 35 percent of adults with autism spectrum disorder. By contrast, schizophrenia affects an estimated 1.1 percent of the general population.

- Autism-related health problems may span the lifespan-from young children to older adults. Nearly one third (32 percent) of children aged 2 to 5 with autism spectrum disorder are overweight and 16 percent are obese. In contrast, less than a quarter (23 percent) of 2-to-5-year-olds in the general population are overweight and only 10 percent are medically obese.

Source:

.http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics

Related articles:

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Between Facts and Causes

Who Is the Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Team?

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Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.