Autism Awareness Month

"April is Autism Acceptance Month. The recognition raises awareness about autism acceptance and promotes inclusion and connectedness for people with autism. Social and community support can help people with autism achieve optimal health and reach their full potential. CDC promotes early identification and provides essential data on autism to inform programs and policies that support children with autism and their families. CDC activities include surveillance and monitoring, educational materials and resources, and sharing best practices with state, territorial, and national partners. 

CDC activities help us understand and help children and families with autism.

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is the only collaborative network to track the number and characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities in multiple communities throughout the United States. The ADDM Network has been tracking the number and characteristics of 8-year-old children with ASD since 2000. The program is now in its sixth phase of funding, and the ADDM Network includes ten funded sites and one CDC-managed site in Georgia.

The sixth funding cycle and surveillance activities of the ADDM Network began in January 2023 with new and returning sites. The 11 ADDM Network sites will track early identification, prevalence, and characteristics of children with ASD among 4- and 8-year-olds. Five of the sites will also track transition planning and co-occurring conditions among 16-year-old children with ASD..."
Autism 

Past, Present, and Future Impact of SEED

"CDC recognizes April as Autism Acceptance Month. We are highlighting the work we’ve done through CDC’s Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) and what we’ve learned about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) so far. Join the nationwide effort to raise awareness and promote acceptance of ASD and its impact on children and families.

CDC’s Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is the largest study in the United States to help us learn more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preschool-aged children, including risk factors and what signs to look for. SEED has now been expanded to learn more about the health, functioning, and needs of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities as they mature.

What Have We Learned from CDC’s Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) So Far?

• There is not one cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are several factors associated with the development of ASD, including
  • Mother and child autoimmune conditions, such as eczema/psoriasis,
  • Pregnancy factors, such as infection with fever in the second trimester of pregnancy, and
  • Environmental factors, such as the interaction between air pollution and neighborhoods with high poverty.
• Children with ASD are more likely to have developmental delays, gastrointestinal issues, and sleep problems, and to engage in self-harming behaviors.
• Contrary to recommendations, many children with ASD are given medication to treat challenging behaviors before they receive behavior therapies.
• Adolescents with ASD are much more likely to have mental health conditions and unmet health care needs.."
  SEED 

New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorder in 4-Year-Old Children

"CDC scientists published a report on the prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 4-year-old children. This report is based on information from the Early Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Early ADDM is a subset of the broader ADDM Network, which has been doing ASD surveillance among 8-year-old children since 2000.

In this report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summaries, scientists analyzed information from the health and/or education records of preschool-aged children. Identifying children with ASD early helps families get access to services in their communities. This report provides valuable information on progress made toward early identification of children with ASD, and informs providers, particularly public schools, of upcoming service needs. The data in this report demonstrate a continued need to identify children with ASD sooner and refer them to early intervention..."
Autism

New Data on Autism: Five Facts to Know

"Many children are living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and they need services and support, now and as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. More can be done to ensure that children with ASD are evaluated as soon as possible after developmental concerns are recognized. Read on to learn more about CDC’s new data on ASD.

Findings from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network help us understand more about the number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the features of those children, and the age at which these children are first evaluated and diagnosed. These findings are critical for

• Promoting early identification of children with ASD;
• Planning services for children and families living with ASD and trainings for the professionals who provide those services;
• Guiding future ASD research; and
• Informing policies that promote improved outcomes in health care and education for individuals with ASD.

The highlights below come from the most recent ADDM Network report, and they are based on information collected from the health and special education (if available) records of 8-year-old children who lived in communities in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin during 2014..."
Autism

New Data on Autism: Five Important Facts to Know

"Many children are living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and they need services and support, now and as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. More can be done to ensure that children with ASD are evaluated as soon as possible after developmental concerns are recognized. Read on to learn more about CDC’s new data on ASD.

Findings from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network help us understand more about the number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the characteristics of those children, and the age at which these children are first evaluated and diagnosed. These findings are critical for

• Promoting early identification of children with ASD;
• Planning for services for children and families affected by ASD, and trainings for the professionals who provide those services;
• Guiding future ASD research; and
• Informing policies that promote improved outcomes in health care and education for individuals with ASD...."
  Autism

Living with Autism

"Learn more about the role of siblings through this family’s story.

Alexis Wineman is the first woman with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to participate in the Miss America competition. Alexis was in middle school when officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified), but felt "different" from an early age. As she got older, she struggled with some of the challenges that come with having ASD, such as a speech impediment, communication difficulties, and being sensitive to loud sounds, and other sensory-related issues. Alexis also had to deal with bullying that occurred because of her differences. Fortunately, her family has always been a source of strength and inspiration for her. We interviewed Alexis, her mother Kimberley, her older brother Nicholas, and her older sister Danielle, and her twin Amanda to hear more about the unique role that siblings play in families living with ASD..."
Autism

Autism Awareness Month-April

"Every day, the millions of Americans living with autism and their families face unique and daunting challenges that many of us will never fully appreciate. During National Autism Awareness Month, we renew our commitment to better understand autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and improve the lives of individuals living with it.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children in the United States has been identified with ASD. This latest estimate makes it clear that autism affects the lives of millions of Americans – our friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members..."
Autism Awareness Month

New Autism Data

" New data from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network show that the estimated number of children identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, and the picture of ASD in communities has changed. These new data can be used to promote early identification, plan for training and service needs, guide research, and inform policy so that children with ASD and their families get the help they need..."
Autism

CDC estimates 1 in 88 children in United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a new study released today that looked at data from 14 communities. Autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than girls – with 1 in 54 boys identified.

The number of children identified with ASDs ranged from 1 in 210 children in Alabama to 1 in 47 children in Utah. The largest increases were among Hispanic and black children.."

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders --- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006
"Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by atypical development in socialization, communication, and behavior. The symptoms of ASDs typically are present before age 3 years and often are accompanied by abnormalities in cognitive functioning, learning, attention, and sensory processing (1). The term "spectrum disorders" is used to indicate that ASDs encompass a range of behaviorally defined conditions, which are diagnosed through clinical observation of development. These conditions include autistic disorder (i.e., autism), Asperger disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) (2--4). Persons with Asperger disorder or PDD-NOS have fewer diagnostic symptoms of ASDs compared with autism, and the symptoms often are indicative of more mild impairment. The complex nature of these disorders, the current lack of consistent and reliable genetic or biologic diagnostic markers, and changes in how these conditions are defined and identified make evaluating ASD prevalence over time challenging.

Since the early 1990s, the number of persons receiving services for ASDs has increased substantially (5--11). However, identifying children for services for autism might not be equivalent to using consistent diagnostic standards to identify persons in the population because services within communities are not available uniformly to all persons with ASDs. For this reason, studies that rely exclusively on single-source administrative datasets (e.g., disability service records or annual reports of special education counts) most likely underestimate ASD prevalence and might not adequately capture changes in the ASD population over time (8,12--14)..."