Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD” or “Autism”)
[ aw-tiz-uhm ]
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.
Quiz
Key Facts
- According to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, 1 in 36 8-year-old children were identified with ASD in 2020.
- CDC supports the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), one of the largest U.S. studies to better understand risk factors of ASD.
- CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program aims to improve early identification of ASD by helping families and professionals monitor early development with free tools like CDC’s Milestone Tracker app.
- There is no cure for ASD, but early intervention services can improve a child’s development.
- Monitoring, screening, evaluating, and diagnosing children with ASD as early as possible is important to make sure children receive the services and supports they need to reach their full potential.
Media
Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children were more likely to be identified with ASD than White children for the first time in ADDM. For every girl identified with ASD, boys were nearly 4 times as likely to be identified.
From 2016 to the beginning of 2020, 4-year-old children had more evaluations and identifications than children aged 8-years (when they were 4) had from 2012 through 2016.]
1 in 36, 8-year-old children identified with ASD in 2020. Based on tracking within 11 communities in the United States Overall average of 2.8 percent of 8-year-old children identified with ASD by ADDM Network Sites.]
Visit CDC's Milestone's in Action website for free photos and videos of developmental milestones.
ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered very reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older. This delay means that children with ASD might not get the early help they need.