Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released two new reports from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) network detailing prevalence rates, characteristics, and screening and diagnostic information. The reports showed a continued increase in the prevalence rate with 1 in 36 children receiving an Autism diagnosis nationally and 1 in 43 here in Maryland. These estimates are based on 8-year-old children living in 11 community sites, one of them in Maryland.
This increasing prevalence estimates continue to underscore the need for equitable supports and services in the Autism community. The increase to 1 in 36 eight-year-olds being diagnosed (up from 1 in 44) can be attributed to a variety of factors, including an increased rate of diagnosis itself. In short, this means that, while diagnostic screening and identification are improving in some ways, the prevalence rate is also increasing.
Please click on the links below for a statement from the Autism Society of America, our national organization. We have also included links to the complete ADDM reports – national and Maryland – as well as links to the CDC’s pages on Prevalence and Early Identification.
As we receive these newest rates of diagnosis and prepare for Autism Acceptance Month in just one week, the Autism Society of Maryland recommits itself to supporting and connecting all of our community members.
Statement from the Autism Society of America
Maryland Community Report (SY2020) – ADDM
