Autism Rates by State: Why the Number Changes When You Cross a Border
Search autism rates by state and two different numbers come back. One says about 1 in 31 children. The other says about 1 in 72. Both are federal figures, both are current, and they do not contradict each other. They count different things. Related reading on a practical topic: garage cleanout tips for busy families . The two federal counts Count What it measures Who is included National figure CDC ADDM, surveillance year 2022 Clinical prevalence from health and school records Children aged 8 in 16 monitored communities 32.2 per 1,000, or 1 in 31 IDEA Section 618 child count, 2023-24 Children formally served under the autism eligibility category Public school students ages 5 to 21 About 1 in 72 The CDC number estimates how many children meet diagnostic criteria. The IDEA number counts how many children a public school system serves under one specific special education category. A child can be autistic, hold a diagnosis, and still not appear in the IDEA autism count, because the ...