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Brief Report: Estimated Prevalence of a Community Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by Age 4 Years in Children from Selected Areas in the United States in 2010: Evaluation of Birth Cohort Effects

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Abstract

We compared early-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (defined as diagnosis by age 4 years) between the 2002 and 2006 birth cohorts, in five sites of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. In the 2002 cohort, the prevalence/1000 of early-diagnosed ASD was half the 8-year-old prevalence (7.2 vs. 14.7, prevalence ratio [PR] 0.5 [0.4–0.6]). Overall, the prevalence of early-diagnosed ASD did not differ between birth cohorts (PR 1.1 [0.9–1.3]). However, in three sites with complete case ascertainment, the prevalence of early-diagnosed ASD was higher for those born in 2006 versus 2002 (PR 1.3 [1.1–1.5]), suggesting possible improvement in early identification. The lack of change in two sites may reflect less complete case ascertainment. Studies in more recent cohorts are needed.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge CDC ADDM project personnel, ADDM projects coordinators, clinician reviewers, abstractors, data managers, and ADDM investigators at each site who contributed to the ADDM surveillance project and data collection.

Author Contributions

Dr. Soke conceptualized the study with inputs from the other co-authors. Dr. Soke analyzed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All the authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version of the article.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Gnakub N. Soke

  2. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders, Developmental Disabilities Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS E-86, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Gnakub N. Soke, M. J. Maenner, D. Christensen & L. A. Schieve

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Genetics and Developmental Pediatrics, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA

    M. Kurzius-Spencer

Authors
  1. Gnakub N. Soke
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  2. M. J. Maenner
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  3. D. Christensen
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  4. M. Kurzius-Spencer
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  5. L. A. Schieve
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gnakub N. Soke.

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All authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study is a secondary data analysis of de-identified data previously collected in a surveillance system. Therefore, formal consent is not required.

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Soke, G.N., Maenner, M.J., Christensen, D. et al. Brief Report: Estimated Prevalence of a Community Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by Age 4 Years in Children from Selected Areas in the United States in 2010: Evaluation of Birth Cohort Effects. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 1917–1922 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3094-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3094-4

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