The CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- This marks a 23 percent increase since their last report in 2009. And, a 78 percent increase since their first report in 2007. Some of the increase is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed, and served in their local communities, although exactly how much is due to these factors in unknown.
- The number of children identified with ASDs varied widely across the 14 ADDM Network sites, from 1 in 47 (21.2 per 1,000) to 1 in 210 (4.8 per 1,000).
- ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).
- The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110 percent) and black children (91 percent). We suspect that some of this increase is due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups. However, this finding explains only part of the increase over time, as more children are being identified in all groups.
- There were increases over time among children without intellectual disability (those having IQ scores above 70), although there were also increases in the estimated prevalence of ASDs at all levels of intellectual ability.
You can read the full report on CDC's website.
Here you can download a copy of the ADDM (Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring) Community Report 2012 (New Jersey has a rate of 1 in 49, see pages 24 and 25 on the report).