The number of Americans diagnosed with autism increased by 175% between 2011 and 2022 thanks to an increase in new cases among young adults, a new study finds.
A developmental disorder, autism affects the way people learn, behave, communicate and interact with others.
For the new study, a team led by Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in California examined health records and insurance claims for 12.2 million Americans for diagnosis codes for autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder, among other conditions. .
The study authors identified a 450% increase in diagnoses among adults aged 26 to 34 during the study period, while cases among female adults increased by 315%.
Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls, but the gender gap is clearly narrowing.
New diagnoses among boys increased by 185% – among girls, they increased by 305%, the study found.
Overall, about 30 out of every 1,000 children between the ages of 5 and 8 have an autism diagnosis, according to the new data, which was published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open..
Researchers say “increased protection and education” may be encouraging more people to screen themselves or their children.
They also speculated that the increase in cases may be due to changes in screening practices, policies, environmental factors, and definitions of diagnosis.
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which was published in 2013, expanded the definition of autism by consolidating disorders such as Asperger’s and Rett Syndrome under the umbrella term of autism spectrum disorder.
Autism is characterized by persistent difficulties in communication and social interaction, including the inability to initiate or respond to social interactions or problems having a back-and-forth conversation, problems maintaining eye contact or other nonverbal communication behaviors , and issues in the development, continuation and meaning of relationships. .
But even before the new definition took root, Dr. Sanjeev Kothare, director of the section of pediatric neurology at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center, noted an increase in autism diagnoses thanks to more awareness and increased genetic testing.
“I think [the definition] it’s not very broad,” Kothare told The Post about autism. “Many patients who were diagnosed with mental retardation, intellectual disability, this terminology now, [when] looked at carefully, they probably had underlying autism, which … with better awareness, is being caught.”
For their part, the study authors say their data may underestimate the true prevalence of autism, especially among older women. Historically, it has been easier to identify autism in males than in females, because males tend to show more obvious symptoms.
There is no cure for autism, but treatments such as speech therapy or physical therapy, behavioral interventions, or medications can help with symptoms.
Scientists aren’t sure what causes autism – some have explored the effect of maternal infection during pregnancy.
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