How Many People Have Autism In The World

The Demographics Of Autism

Studies have found that all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are impacted by autism.

When evaluating the impact of socioeconomic status on ASD diagnoses, researchers have found that the prevalence of ASD increases with socioeconomic status. This could be due in part to greater access to health care and therefore a higher likelihood of receiving a diagnosis.

Researchers have also identified racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of autism. Among black, white, and Hispanic children, the difference in the prevalence of ASD has remained relatively consistent over time, especially among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Black and white children see nearly identical prevalence of ASD. Hispanic children, however, are less likely to receive an autism diagnosis.

Autism advocates are striving to expand access to diagnostic testing and subsequent services for children in underrepresented populations. The sooner children receive intervention services, the more they are likely to gain from them. This increases the chances that they will effectively acquire essential life skills for independent learning and living as they grow up.

Early Treatment Of Autism Can Help Improve Outcomes

Medical reports made on autism patients who had early autism treatment always showed better results than parents who acted late. Many autism diagnosis statistics have revealed that the earlier the diagnosis and the sooner ASD is treated, the better the outcomes are among the children affected by it.

Who Resolution On Autism Spectrum Disorders

In May 2014, the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Comprehensive and coordinated efforts for the management of autism spectrum disorders ,” which was supported by more than 60 countries.

The resolution urges WHO to collaborate with Member States and partner agencies to strengthen national capacities to address ASD and other developmental disabilities.

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What Is The Current Autism Rate

In the United States, according to the CDC, 1 in 59 children is on the autism spectrum as of a 2006 survey.

More recent studies indicate a rate of 1 in 45. But in some of the countries with lowest autism rates, that number can be as low as 1 in 3,333 .

Across the globe, the World Health Organization puts that figure at 1 in 160. The CDC has also seen a 15% increase in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis over the past 2 years.

Since 2004, they have found an incredible 181% increase through 2018.

Check out even more shocking Autism Statistics Worldwide in a highly shared post I published earlier.

Key Findings: Cdc Releases First Estimates Of The Number Of Adults Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The United States

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among adults aged 18 years and older in the United States in 2017*. This study fills a gap in data on adults living with ASD in the United States because there is not an existing surveillance system to collect this information.

An estimated 5,437,988 adults in the United States have ASD.

• The prevalence of US adults with ASD ranged from a low of 1.97% in Louisiana to a high of 2.42% in Massachusetts.
• The states with the greatest estimated number of adults living with ASD included California , Texas , New York , and Florida .

Consistent with estimates of ASD in US school-aged children, prevalence was found to be higher in men than in women.

• Approximately 4,357,667 male adults were estimated to have ASD, with state estimates ranging from 3.17% of men in South Dakota to 4.01% of men in Massachusetts.
• Approximately 1,080,322 female adults were estimated to have ASD, with state estimates ranging from 0.72% of women in Arkansas to 0.97% of women in Virginia.

ASD is a lifelong condition, and many adults with ASD need ongoing services and supports. The findings from this study can help states determine the need for diagnosing and providing services to adults in the United States who remain unidentified with ASD.

*Estimates were based on modeling inputs from state-based population and mortality data and parent-report survey data of US children diagnosed with ASD.

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Autism Age Of Diagnosis Statistics

Going back to Autism Speaks:

• Autism can be diagnosed between 18-24 months
• The average age of diagnosis in the US is 4 years
• While autism affects all ethnic groups, it is diagnosed later and less frequently in minority groups. Thus most reports show higher autism rates worldwide among whites compared to other ethnic groups

Unfortunately, not all countries track autism the way many of the more developed countries do.

There is also disparity among countries in the criteria used to diagnose autism. Thus in some cases measuring autism rates worldwide isnt always an apples to apples comparison.

So lets review the . . .

Hong Kong Sar Of China

According to the Autism Partnership, the Hong Kong SAR of China has an autism rate of 49 for every 10,000. The government of Hong Kong suggests that there are about 3,800 residents with the disorder in their jurisdiction. In Hong Kong, among its student population, less than one percent are affected with the disorder. One autistic charity organization in the city of Hong Kong helps autistic children by providing therapy, although similar organizations have found it difficult to exist there because of a lack of government support.

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What Are The Different Types Of Autism

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition is published by the American Psychiatric Association . Clinicians use it to diagnose a variety of psychiatric disorders.

The most recent fifth edition of the DSM was released in 2013. The DSM-5 currently recognizes five different ASD subtypes, or specifiers. They are:

• with or without accompanying intellectual impairment
• with or without accompanying language impairment
• associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor
• associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder

Someone can receive a diagnosis of one or more specifiers.

Before the DSM-5, autistic people may have received a diagnosis of:

• autistic disorder
• pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified
• childhood disintegrative disorder

Its important to note that a person who received one of these earlier diagnoses hasnt lost their diagnosis and wont need to be reevaluated.

Symptoms of ASD typically become clearly evident during early childhood, between 12 and 24 months of age. However, symptoms may also appear earlier or later.

Early symptoms may include a marked delay in language or social development.

The DSM-5 divides symptoms of ASD into two categories: problems with communication and social interaction, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior or activities.

Us Smartphone Ownership Demographics

Smartphone ownership in America is comparatively consistent across surveyed areas such as gender, ethnicity, and regional development. The most significant contrasts are presented where age, income and education are studied. For example, 94% of 18-29-year-olds have a smartphone, whereas only 46% of the 65+ age group has adopted it.

Another contrast is where 67% of people that earn less than $30,000 a year own a smartphone. Further to this affluence data, 57% of Americans with less than a high school graduate attainment have a smartphone.

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What Are The Risk Factors For Autism

Going back to the CDC, they find that:

• If one twin has autism the other is up to 95% more likely to also have autism
• Parents of one autistic child are up to 18% more likely to have other autistic children
• Autism is more likely to occur under certain genetic or chromosomal conditions. Thus children with autism are 10% more likely to have down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders
• Children born to older parents are more likely to have autism
• Children of low birth weight or who are born prematurely have a slightly increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder

Autistic individuals have great potential, but we have to give them a chance. We need to create environments where they can thrive, where they can learn better ways to teach themselves. We need to help communities understand.

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Around 54 Million Adults In The Us Are Autistic

As many as 5,437,988 people in the US, or 2.21% of the population, are autistic. Whats more, autism statistics by state reveal that the highest number of autistic adults resides in Florida , New York , Texas , and California . The lowest number of autistic adults has been recorded in Louisiana, autism rates by state indicate.

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What Are The Asperger Statistics Worldwide

Aspergers is a type of autism.

All autistic people have certain challenges in common, but because autism is a spectrum it affects different people in different ways.

Persons with Asperger syndrome may also have mental health challenges. Thus they may need additional support.

People with Asperger syndrome often have above average intelligence.

They are likely to not have the learning disabilities that challenge many with autism, but they may have challenges with social patterns and recognizing social cues.

Those with Aspergers also have fewer problems with speech but have great challenges understanding the true meaning behind some words and phrases. They may be especially challenged with so-called figures of speech and want to take things very literally.

According to the Asperger/Autism Network, about 1 in every 250 people fall somewhere on the Asperger profile.

While studies are still a little inconclusive, many feel that specifically with Asperger syndrome, the ratio of boys to girls is 2/1.

Thus there is a much higher incident rate for girls specifically with Aspergers compared to the 4-1 ratio for the autism spectrum as a whole.

Repetitive And Restrictive Behaviour

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What Percentage Of Babies Are Autistic

I mentioned above that the CDC reports that 1.7% of the population has autism.

For babies, however, its much harder to know if the rates of autism at birth are any different. The reason for that is that autism often isnt diagnosed until kids are around age 7.

What we do know is that tracking of autism in minority populations has improved dramatically in recent years. Stuart K. Shapira, MD, PhD of the CDC went on to say that Autism prevalence among black and Hispanic children is approaching that of white children.

No doubt that accounts for the increase from 1.5% in 2016.

While 1.5% to 1.7% may sound small, bear in mind thats across the total population in the United States. That means out of the 327.2 million people in the US, 5.5 million people have autism.

That increase from 1.5% to 1.7% means an additional 600,000 people have been diagnosed with autism just between 2016 and 2018.

Why Is Autism Increasing So Much

Youve probably seen the Autism Speaks ads: Every two seconds a child is diagnosed with autism. As I write this today, the CDC has determined that 1 in a 54 people or 2% of males has an autism spectrum disorder !1Ever since Bob Wright, former president of NBC, became the grandfather of a child with autism and created Autism Speaks, awareness of and research on the condition has skyrocketed. Given this prevalence, you probably know someone who has a child with an ASD.

Welcome to my world. I am a developmental and behavioral pediatrician who has specialized, over the last 30 years, in caring for, diagnosing, and helping literally thousands of children and adolescents with ASD.

Over this time, my patients and their families have taught me so much about what it means to both struggle and grow and accept what cant be changed. I have learned to see through the eyes of the differently abled and their families. I have been witness to the miraculous potential within many of these children and adolescents who become fully functional and even indistinguishable from their peers . Recent research has found that the child with autism who receives intensive early intervention can outgrow their diagnosis.2 In my practice, I have many children who, over time, no longer met the official criteria for an autism spectrum disorder.

with lilacs. The last descendant.

J Child Psychol Psychiatry.JAMA Psychiatry.

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Epilepsy Is Most Common In Autistic Children Over The Age Of Nine

In a nutshell, epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures and associated with abnormal activity in the brain. Autism spectrum disorder statistics show that epilepsy is most common in autistic children over the age of nine. Whats more, autistic children over the age of ten have a 2.35 times higher chance of being diagnosed with epilepsy than younger children.

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History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Canada

It was not until shortly following the Second World War that children with ASD were first seen for diagnosis and treatment in Canada. Universal health care,which was introduced across the country from the 1950s to the 1970s, allowed families to access diagnostic and treatment services for ASD more readily, regardless of their income level. This was a significant step in supporting this population. Dr. MiladaHavelkova at the West End Crèche in Toronto, Ontario, was the first clinician in Canada to diagnose and treat childrenwith ASD. She was also the first child psychiatrist in Canada to seek a better understanding of the causes of ASD through research. She published several influential papers on autismduring her 30-year career at the clinic.

Diagnosis of ASD and other pervasive developmental disorders has steadily increased in Canada since their addition to the DSM-III in 1980, despite significant confusion between the terms autism, PDD and PDD-NOS among health professionals andthe public. In 1987, the DSM-III-R broadened the criteria for autism. This further increased in the number of children who received a diagnosis of autism or PDD-NOS.

Throughout the 1990s, autism researchers focused on the molecular genetics of autism, as well as developing reliable and valid diagnostic tools. With the rising rates of ASD, researchersalso explored the contribution of environmental risk exposures to the development of autism.

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Why Are Autism Rates Steadily Rising

Stefania Sterling with her son Charlie, who was diagnosed at age 3 with autism.

Stefania Sterling was just 21 when she had her son, Charlie. She was young and healthy, with no genetic issues apparent in either her or her husband’s family, so she expected Charlie to be typical.

“It is surprising that the prevalence of a significant disorder like autism has risen so consistently over a relatively brief period.”

It wasn’t until she went to a Mommy and Me music class when he was one, and she saw all the other one-year-olds walking, that she realized how different her son was. He could barely crawl, didn’t speak, and made no eye contact. By the time he was three, he was diagnosed as being on the lower functioning end of the autism spectrum.

She isn’t sure why it happened and researchers, too, are still trying to understand the basis of the complex condition. Studies suggest that genes can act together with influences from the environment to affect development in ways that lead to Autism Spectrum Disorder . But rates of ASD are rising dramatically, making the need to figure out why it’s happening all the more urgent.

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“It is surprising that the prevalence of a significant disorder like autism has risen so consistently over a relatively brief period,” said Walter Zahorodny, an associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who was involved in collecting the data.

Searching for Answers

A Polarizing Theory

Important Autism Statistics For 2021

• The rate of ASD in the US grew by an estimated 14% in just 2 years.
• ASD generally appears before children hit 3 years.
• 64% of kids with autism have received therapy within the last 12 months.
• 1% of the adult population of the United Kingdom has ASD, according to autism statistics in the UK.
• Around 1% of the worlds population has autism.
• Research has shown that genetics are a major cause of ASD.
• Prematurely born babies or those born with a low birth weight have a higher risk of having autism spectrum disorder.
• Adults who have a child with autism have a 2%18% chance of having another child with the disorder.
• 4% of children with ASD lost their diagnosis by age 8.
• On average, autism costs families about $60,000 annually.

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Autism Rates By Country In 2021

I know autism is on the rise in the US, but I wondered what the autism rates by country were around the world.

I decided to research it, and heres what I found out:

Poland has the absolute lowest rate of autism in the world, followed closely by Taiwan. The next countries with low autism rates, while having significantly higher rates than those 2, include China, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. In the US, the rate of autism is 1 in 59, which ranks as #16 worldwide.

But theres a lot more to know about the countries with the lowest autism rates and the highest.

Surprisingly, the autism rates by country are quite varied. While you can see the entire list at the bottom of this article, well also be exploring how well different countries report instances of autism, and well hear from experts that interpret the data and statistics.

We dont have all the answers by any means, but we do know the questions. And this post is steering clear of conspiracy theories and just focusing on facts.

So today, well be reviewing the countries with lowest autism rates to see if there are any correlations that could help shed some light on this epidemic. Well also look to see if there are any countries with no autism.

If you are a parent of a child with autism, one of the scariest things can be letting them out of your site.

The company GPS SmartSole makes shoe inserts you can track on your phone, giving you peace of mind but still letting them be kids.