Autism diagnoses are skyrocketing in the US — here’s why
The number of Americans diagnosed with autism jumped 175% between 2011 and 2022 thanks to a surge in new cases among young adults, new research finds.
A developmental disorder, autism affects how people learn, behave, communicate and interact with others.
For the new study, a team led by Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in California examined health records and insurance claims for 12.2 million Americans for diagnostic codes for autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder, among other conditions.
The study authors identified a 450% increase in diagnoses among adults 26 to 34 years old during the study period, while female adult cases rose 315%.
Boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to girls, but the gender gap is noticeably narrowing.
New diagnoses among boys climbed 185% — among girls, they leapt 305%, the study found.
Overall, about 30 in every 1,000 children between the ages of 5 and 8 have an autism diagnosis, according to the new data, which was published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Researchers say “increased advocacy and education” may be prompting more people to get themselves or their children screened.
They also speculated the upswing in cases may be due to changes to screening practices, policies, environmental factors and diagnosis definitions.
The fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5), which was published in 2013, broadened the definition of autism by consolidating disorders like Asperger’s and Rett Syndrome under the umbrella term autism spectrum disorder.
Autism is characterized by persistent difficulties in social communication and interaction, including an inability to initiate or respond to social interactions or troubles having back-and-forth conversation, problems maintaining eye contact or other nonverbal communicative behaviors, and issues developing, continuing and understanding relationships.
But even before the new definition took root, Dr. Sanjeev Kothare, director of the division of pediatric neurology at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of Northwell Health, noted an increase in autism diagnoses thanks to more awareness and increased genetic testing.
“I think [the definition] is not over broad,” Kothare told The Post about autism. “A lot of patients who were diagnosed with mental reduction, intellectual disability, that terminology now, [when] looked at carefully, they probably had underlying autism, which … with better awareness, is being picked up.”
For their part, the study authors say their data may actually underestimate the true prevalence of autism, especially among older women. Historically, it’s been easier to identify autism in males than in females because men tend to exhibit more overt symptoms.
There is no cure for autism, but treatments such as speech or physical therapy, behavioral interventions or medications may help with symptoms.
Scientists aren’t sure what causes autism — some have been exploring the effect of maternal infection during pregnancy.
