Real Deal on Autism Straight from the Experts

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can affect a child's behavioral, social, and communication skills. Early screening, diagnosis, and referral for intervention is very important.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates the prevalence of ASD in children to be one in 68. This new estimate roughly represents a 30% increase from previous estimates reported in 2012 of one in 88 children.

The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) responded to this new data with a recent news release, "Autism Prevalence on the Rise: 1 in 68 Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder" and an AAP News article, "Autism Prevalence Now 1 in 68, Varies by Sex, Race/Ethnic Group."

The estimates reflect the findings of the report, "Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children Aged 8 Years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010," which was published on March 27, 2014 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The data continues to show that ASD is almost five times more common among boys than girls: one in 42 boys versus one in 189 girls.

For parents of children with Autism, these questions and more are explored in this Healthy Children segment.  Dr. Susan L. Hyman gives you the most up-to-date information on the most important questions being investigated by researchers. And, the AAP is working with pediatricians to provide ongoing care to the many children with autism and their families.