Prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in Multiple ...

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Prevalence of the Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASDs) in Multiple Areas
of the United States, 2000 and 2002
Community Report from the Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network*
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
US Department of Health and Human Services

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information: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_ss or www.cdc.gov/autism
* This report summarizes the main findings reported in the following published reports:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence of —Autism Spectrum
Disorders --- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, six sites, United
States, 2000. MMWR SS 2007;56(SS-1)(1)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence of —Autism Spectrum
Disorders --- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 Sites, United
States, 2002. MMWR SS 2007;56(SS-1)(2)
To read the MMWR reports in their entirety, go to www.cdc.gov/mmwr.
To read more about autism, go to CDC’s autism site at www.cdc.gov/autism.
Report prepared by Melody Stevens, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation; Anita Washington, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation;
Catherine Rice, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (CDC);
Walter Jenner, South Carolina ADDM Project; Jennifer Ottolino, Arizona ADDM Project;
Kristen Clancy, Arizona ADDM Project; Julia Whitney, Battelle Centers for Public Health
Research and Evaluation, for the ADDM Network, surveillance years 2000 and 2002. Design
and Production: Julie Hentz, Electronic Data Systems.
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agency.

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Introduction
1
What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)?
3
How Many People Have an Autism Spectrum Disorder?
5
What is the ADDM Network?
9
What Are The Results?
11
State by State
15
Summary
31
What Else Do I Need To Know?
33
Where Can I Get More Information?
37

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Introduction
The number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASDs) has risen over the past decade, but it is unclear
whether the increase is due to changes in diagnosis or to a
true increase in cases. The causes and risk factors for ASDs are
also unclear. To get a better picture of the scope of ASDs in
this country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has established the Autism and Developmental Dis­
abilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. The network is work­
ing to gain accurate counts of children with ASDs, to identify
differences in how ASDs affect various subgroups, and to
characterize the ASD population. This report summarizes the
findings from the first years of the ADDM Network’s program.
In the report you will find:
•
An overview of ASDs
•
A discussion about the prevalence of ASDs
•
An overview of the ADDM Network
•
ADDM Network results to date
•
Resources for learning more about ASDs and
support
for
families
Introduction
1

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What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are lifelong developmen­
tal disabilities. People with ASDs have impairments in social
skills and verbal and nonverbal communication. They often
have repetitive behaviors or unusual interests. ASDs are part
of the broader category of Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD) and include Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s
Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not
Otherwise Specifi ed (PDD-NOS).
A child or adult with an ASD might:
• not play “pretend” games (pretend
Each of the behaviors associated with ASDs may range
to “feed” a doll)
• not point at objects to show
from mild to severe. Some individuals may have relatively
interest (point at an airplane
good verbal skills and only a minimal language delay but
fl ying over)
have significantly impaired social skills. Others may be
• not look at objects when another
nonverbal or have very little ability or interest in
person points at them
communicating or interacting with others. People with
• have trouble relating to others or
ASDs often do not take part in pretend play, have a hard
not have an interest in other people
at
all
time initiating social interactions, and engage in self-
• avoid eye contact and want to be
stimulatory behaviors (e.g., flapping hands, making unusual
alone
noises, rocking from side to side, or toe-walking).
• have trouble understanding other
people’s feelings or talking about
There is no medical test for ASDs. Typically, a diagnosis is
their own feelings
made after a thorough evaluation. Such an evaluation might
• prefer not to be held or cuddled or
include clinical observations, parent interviews,
might cuddle only when they want to
• appear to be unaware when other
developmental histories, psychological testing, speech and
people talk to them but respond to
language assessments, and possibly the use of one or more
other
sounds
autism diagnostic tests.
• be very interested in people, but not
know how to talk to, play with, or
Children with an ASD may have other developmental
relate to them
disabilities, such as mental retardation, seizure disorder,
• repeat or echo words or phrases said
to them, or repeat words or phrases in
fragile X syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis. Also, some
place of normal language (echolalia)
children may have mental health problems such as
• have trouble expressing their needs
depression or anxiety. Some children with ASDs may also
using typical words or motions
have attention deficits, sleeping disorders, sensory issues,
• repeat actions over and over again
sleep problems, and gastrointestinal disorders.
• have trouble adapting when a routine
changes
• have unusual reactions to the way
things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
To learn more about these and other conditions, visit the National
• lose skills they once had (for instance,
What are autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)?
Institutes of Health website:
stop saying words they were once
www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism.cfm#intro
using)
3

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