Autism rates see a staggering hike in past two years

A report released today, 18 April 2018, puts the prevalence of autism in kids in the US at 1 in 59. That’s a 15 percent jump since the last report was issued in 2016, by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM).

Autism is a developmental disorder on a spectrum, which affects social skills, communication skills, self-regulation, and sensory processing. Some kids with ASD can more or less blend in with their neurotypical peers, while others will need caregivers to look after them into adulthood.

Back in the 1970s, ASD was considered a rare disease, with just 1-2 in every 10,000 American children affected. But numbers continue to rise. Earlier this month, a report from the Public Health Agency of Canada put the prevalence of ASD in Canadian kids at 1 in 66.

Early intervention and accessing resources are both key for giving kids with ASD the best outcomes. Parents can find more information on red flags, symptoms, diagnosis, Canadian resources and parenting strategies, in the What-now? Parents’ Guide to Autism, written by Joel Yanofsky, and published by Today’s Parent.

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