Autism rates in children continue to rise, CDC study says
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The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention campus on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
One in 31 U.S. children age 8 or younger are now diagnosed with autism, according to a study the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Tuesday.
The big picture: Autism diagnoses are on the rise, according to the study. In 2000, the CDC said 1 in 150 children had been diagnosed with autism. The figure was 1 in 54 in 2016, per the agency.
- The CDC attributes the rise of autism diagnoses to improved screening in contrast to claims from President Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading proponent of a debunked theory linking autism and vaccines.
Between the lines: Boys were more than three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism, with higher rates among Asian, Black and Hispanic children than white children, per the study.
- "Differences in the prevalence of children identified with [autism spectrum disorder] across communities might be due to differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices," the report states.
- Researchers noted that areas with the highest rates, such as California, have widespread resources dedicated to early detection.
- "Research has not demonstrated that living in certain communities puts children at greater risk for developing ASD," the report states.
Zoom out: In response to the CDC report, HHS said Tuesday that the increase in autism prevalence "cannot be solely attributed to the expansion of diagnoses to include higher functioning children."
- Kennedy said in a statement that autism is "preventable" and that "the autism epidemic has now reached a scale unprecedented in human history because it affects the young."
- During a Cabinet meeting this month, Kennedy said his department had launched a "massive" research effort that will determine the cause of autism by September, but it's not immediately clear what the changes in methods will be.
What's next: The health secretary is planning a press conference for 11am ET Wednesday to discuss the CDC's findings.
Go deeper: Trump spreads autism misinformation in RFK Jr. confirmation push
