Autism prevalence gaps and disparities

In its response to autism prevalence data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) highlights a “serious gap” in U.S. autism research.

As attributed to Julia Bascom, ASAN’s director of programs:

“The lack of any data on adults represents a serious gap in CDC’s efforts. When the United Kingdom conducted an adult prevalence study, it found the same rate of autism in adults as children, helping to debunk public hysteria over a so-called ‘autism epidemic’.”

ASAN cites CDC data suggesting that approximately 1 in every 68 children in the United States is on the autism spectrum.

In its response, ASAN draws attention to “vast diagnostic disparities” on the basis of gender and race, stating that boys are four to five times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. ASAN also alleges that white children are 30 and 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed, respectively, than black and Hispanic children.