THURSDAY, Oct. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) — From 2011 to 2022, there was an increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses among children and adults, according to a study published online Oct. 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Luke P. Grosvenor, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Pleasanton, and colleagues examined trends in the prevalence of ASD diagnoses using electronic records data from a large network of health systems in the United States in a cross-sectional study conducted from Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2022.

Overall, 12,264,003 members were enrolled in 2022 (19.2 percent children aged 0 to 17 years). The researchers found that throughout the study period, the ASD diagnosis rate was highest among 5- to 8-year-olds, and increased by 175 percent among the full sample, from 2.3 to 6.3 per 1,000 in 2011 and 2022, respectively. From 2011 to 2022, the greatest relative increase in diagnosis rate occurred among 26- to 34-year-olds (450 percent); greater increases were seen for female versus male children (305 versus 185 percent) and female versus male adults (315 versus 215 percent, respectively). Among children, but not adults, racial and ethnic minority groups had greater relative increases compared with White individuals.

“These findings forecast a substantial number of autistic people aging into adult care and can be used both to inform interventions for addressing disparities and to efficiently allocate resources to meet the support needs of autistic people across the lifespan,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to SAGE Pharmaceuticals.

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