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From Journal Watch:
Studies during the past decade have indicated an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism. A recent report from the CDC is the largest to date on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) among U.S. children.
In a population-based study in 2000, 14 sites in different states participated in a surveillance program to identify 8-year-old children with ASDs. Investigators reviewed medical records and psychoeducational evaluations for special education services to identify behaviors consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for autism, pervasive developmental disorder, or Asperger syndrome.
Among a population of more than 407,500 children, 2685 (0.66%) had ASDs. The prevalence of ASDs ranged from 3.3 to 10.6 per 1000 children (most sites ranged from 5.2 to 7.6); the overall mean prevalence was 6.6 per 1000 children (1/152 children). Five sites identified a significantly higher prevalence of ASDs among non-Hispanic white children compared with non-Hispanic black children. The male-to-female ratio at the various sites ranged from 3.4 to 6.5 boys to 1 girl, and the median age of earliest documented ASD ranged from 49 to 66 months. Among the six sites with prevalence data for both 2000 and 2002, the prevalence of ASDs remained stable in four and was higher in two.
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