by Dennis Thompson

Autism ranks among the top ten health problems for young people under 20.

A new study published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry says that in 2021, nearly 62 million people had autism spectrum disorder.

"We estimated one in 127 individuals worldwide in 2021 was autistic, placing the autism spectrum within the top ten causes of non-fatal health burden for children and adolescents younger than 20 years," concluded the research team led by Damian Santomauro, an affiliate assistant professor with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

These numbers show how important it is to diagnose autism early in a child's life, so they can receive therapy that will help them throughout their lifespan.

"Addressing not only the needs of autistic children and adolescents, but also those of adults, who often remain under-represented in research and service provision, is imperative," researchers wrote.

Kids on the spectrum can find holidays like Christmas and New Year's particularly challenging, wrote David Boehme, a teaching assistant in Germany, in Autism Spectrum News.

"When it comes to Christmas, to this noise-filled and colorful time of year, sounds, smells, guests in the house, and changes in routine and scenery can be overwhelming, stressful, and scary for an autistic child," Boehme said.

For the study, researchers combined data from 105 studies on autism rates across 33 countries.

The researchers found that autism rates had increased dramatically—one in 127 people in 2021, compared with one in 271 in 2019—but said that this increase is mainly attributed to changes in the way autism is detected and estimated.

The rate is much higher than current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates of one in every 36 children, researchers noted.

"This higher prevalence was derived from a review of case notes from clinical and educational records to establish whether individuals likely met diagnostic criteria for probable autism spectrum disorder," the paper says. "Because individuals were not clinically evaluated for autism spectrum disorder (as is done in population diagnostic surveys), this method can overestimate the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder."

The autism rate among males is double that of females, researchers added—1,065 cases per 100,000 males, compared with 508 per 100,000 females. That's less than current CDC estimates, which hold that autism is nearly 4 times more common among boys than girls.

The study also found that autism rates decline with age.

"Addressing the global health burden of autism spectrum disorder requires prioritizing resources for early detection programs, including improved diagnostic tools—particularly for adults and those in low and middle-income countries with limited access to care, caregiver support, and services tailored to the evolving needs of autistic individuals across their lifespan," researchers concluded in a University of Washington news release.

More information: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on autism among children.

Damian F Santomauro et al, The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, The Lancet Psychiatry (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00363-8

Journal information: The Lancet Psychiatry 

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