About 1 in 36 children in the United States has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which works out to roughly 2.8% of eight-year-olds. That figure comes from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, which has tracked autism prevalence among eight-year-olds since 2000. The most recent surveillance data shows prevalence climbed even higher at several monitoring sites in 2022, rising about 22% compared to the 2020 estimate.
How the Numbers Have Changed Over Time
The rise in autism prevalence over the past two decades is striking. In 2000, the ADDM Network reported a rate of 1 in 150 children. By 2020, that figure had jumped to 1 in 36. Among the 11 surveillance sites that collected data in both 2020 and 2022, nine reported higher prevalence in 2022, with individual site increases ranging from 14% to nearly 37%.
That doesn’t necessarily mean autism itself is becoming more common in a biological sense. Broader diagnostic criteria, greater awareness among parents and clinicians, and improved access to evaluation services all play a role. Children who might have been labeled with a different condition (or missed entirely) 20 years ago are now more likely to receive an autism diagnosis. The CDC has noted that differences across communities likely reflect differences in the availability of screening and diagnostic services rather than actual variation in risk.
Boys vs. Girls
Autism is diagnosed more than three times as often in boys as in girls. This gap has been consistent for years, though researchers increasingly believe girls are underdiagnosed rather than inherently less likely to be autistic. Girls with autism often present differently: they may mask social difficulties more effectively or show fewer of the repetitive behaviors that clinicians traditionally look for, which can delay or prevent diagnosis.
Differences by Race and Ethnicity
For years, white children were diagnosed with autism at higher rates than Black, Hispanic, and other minority children. That pattern has reversed. Recent ADDM data shows prevalence is now higher among several historically underserved racial and ethnic groups, a shift the CDC attributes to increased access to identification services in communities that previously had fewer resources for early screening and evaluation.
This reversal is an important nuance. It suggests the earlier gap was never about biology. It was about which families had access to developmental pediatricians, which school districts conducted evaluations, and which communities had the infrastructure to catch autism early. As those barriers have started to fall, diagnosis rates have risen in groups that were previously underrepresented.
The Global Picture
Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 127 people had autism as of 2021. That number is lower than the U.S. figure in part because many low- and middle-income countries lack the screening infrastructure to identify autism consistently. In countries with well-resourced surveillance systems, reported rates tend to be substantially higher. The global average is best understood as a floor, not a ceiling.
When Kids Are Typically Screened
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for developmental delays at regular well-child visits at 9, 18, and 30 months. On top of those general screenings, every child should also be screened specifically for autism at 18 months and again at 24 months. Children with a sibling who has autism or who show early signs may need additional screening beyond that schedule.
Despite these recommendations, many children still aren’t diagnosed until well past their second birthday. Early identification matters because it opens the door to behavioral and developmental support during the years when the brain is most adaptable. The gap between when parents first notice something and when a child actually receives a diagnosis can stretch months or even years, particularly in areas with long waitlists for developmental evaluations.
What Autism Looks Like Alongside Other Conditions
Autism rarely shows up in isolation. Among children with ASD who had cognitive testing data in the CDC’s 2020 surveillance cycle, about 38% also met criteria for intellectual disability, meaning significant limitations in reasoning, problem-solving, or adaptive skills. The remaining 62% had average or above-average cognitive ability, which highlights how wide the autism spectrum truly is.
Other common co-occurring conditions include anxiety, ADHD, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal issues. The combination of conditions a child experiences shapes the type and intensity of support they need, which is one reason families’ experiences with autism vary so much.
The Financial Reality for Families
Raising a child with autism costs significantly more than raising a neurotypical child. Families commonly face $17,000 to $21,000 per year in additional medical and therapy expenses. Those costs tend to increase with age, and each additional symptom or co-occurring condition can add roughly $1,400 per year. Behavioral therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy are the biggest line items for most families, though insurance coverage for these services has expanded in many states over the past decade.