CDC - ADDM, Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

Photo: Child bouncing on large ball The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is a group of programs funded by CDC to determine the number of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the United States. The ADDM sites all collect data using the same surveillance methods, which are modeled after CDC’s Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP).

ADDM’s goals are to:

Provide data about ASD prevalence (how common ASDs are in a specific place and time period).
Describe the population of children with ASDs.
Compare ASD prevalence in different groups of children and different areas of the country.
Identify changes in ASD prevalence over time.
Understand the impact of autism and related conditions in US communities.

What We’ve Learned

The average ASD prevalence was 6.7 per 1,000 for 8-year-olds in 2000 and 6.6 per 1,000 for 8-year-olds in 2002 in several areas of the United States. That’s about 1 in 150 children.

In 2002:

ASD prevalence was higher among boys than among girls, ranging from more than three to more than six boys for every girl with ASD.
- Boys: 5.0 per 1,000 (Alabama) to 16.8 per 1,000 (New Jersey)
- Girls: 1.4 per 1,000 (Alabama) to 4.0 per 1,000 (New Jersey)
ASD prevalence among white non-Hispanic children ranged from 3.3 per 1,000 (Alabama) to 12.5 per 1,000 (New Jersey). For black non-Hispanic children, ASD prevalence ranged from 3.4 per 1,000 (Alabama) to 7.7 per 1,000 (New Jersey). Among Hispanic children, it ranged from 0.3 per 1,000 (Wisconsin) to 9.7 per 1,000 (New Jersey).
The median age of earliest ASD diagnosis ranged from four years, one month (Utah) to five years, six months (Alabama). But for 51–91 percent of children with an ASD, developmental concerns had been recorded before three years of age.

In 2000:

ASD prevalence was higher among boys than among girls, ranging from three to more than five boys for every girl with ASD.
- Boys: 6.6 per 1,000 (West Virginia) to 14.6 per 1,000 (New Jersey)
- Girls: 2.0 per 1,000 (Georgia) to 4.2 per 1,000 (New Jersey)
ASD prevalence among white non-Hispanic children ranged from 4.5 per 1,000 (West Virginia) to 11.0 per 1,000 (New Jersey). For black non-Hispanic children, ASD prevalence ranged from 5.3 per 1,000 (Georgia) to 10.6 per 1,000 (New Jersey).
The median age of earliest ASD diagnosis ranged from four years, four months (New Jersey and West Virginia) to four years, eight months (Georgia). But, for 69 –88 percent of children with an ASD, concerns about the child’s development had been recorded before three years of age.

Read a full report on the ADDM findings »

ADDM Sites:

Map: ADDM/CADDRE State Sites

Current Activities

CDC currently funds a total of 13 ADDM sites and participates as the 14th. Read about the work taking place at each site by clicking one of the following links:

ADDM Fact Sheet

Previous Activities

ADDM’s first phase included funding for 16 sites. These sites include the current phase list above plus two additional sites. Read about the work at each site by clicking one of the following links: