Autism cases are surging in the U.S., particularly among young adults, with the total number of cases nearly tripling over the past decade, a recent report revealed.
The study published in JAMA Network examined autism diagnosis trends in the U.S. from 2011 to 2022, revealing a significant 175% spike in rates. This large-scale research analyzed data from over 12 million patients enrolled in major U.S. healthcare systems.
In addition to the spike in new diagnoses, researchers also made interesting findings about diagnosis patterns based on factors such as gender, race, and age. They observed that "relative increases in autism diagnosis rates were greatest among young adults compared with all other age groups, female compared with male individuals, and some racial and ethnic minority groups compared with White individuals among children but not adults."
Autism diagnoses among young adults aged 26 to 34 have seen a staggering 450% increase. Autism rates are highest among young children, with about 30 out of every 1,000 kids ages 5 to 8 diagnosed with autism.
When examining gender differences in autism diagnoses, the report found that while boys are still more likely to be diagnosed, the "gender gap" is closing. The rate of new diagnoses among female children rose by 305%, compared to an increase of 185% for male children. While women had a 315% rise in autism diagnoses, men showed a 215% rise.
Researchers suggest that increased awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in females highlighted through representation in social media and training programs may be a key factor driving the changes concerning gender.
When comparing different races, the increase in ASD prevalence was greater among Black, Asian, American Indian, or Alaska Native, and Hispanic children than among White children. This could be due to the "implementation of universal screening and increased outreach to minority communities," the researchers noted.
In general, the rise in the total number of diagnoses could be due to "changes to developmental screening practices" for children and changes in "diagnosis definitions, policies, and environmental factors."
Meanwhile, the researchers caution that the actual rates might be even higher than what they determined. "Rates reported here may underestimate the true prevalence of ASD in adults, especially older female adults, as many would not have been screened in childhood and remain undiagnosed. Nevertheless, our findings indicate that the population of autistic adults in the US will continue to grow, underscoring a need for expanded health care services," the researchers noted.
