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Autism Rate for American Children Now 1 in 33 and Likely Worse

Autism Rate for American Children Now 1 in 33 and Likely Worse

Opinion | If you do a Google search for the current prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children in the United States, you will likely come across the rate of 1 in 36. That’s the rate that was confirmed by an analysis published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) epidemiological digest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Mar. 24, 2023.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The rate was based on a survey of eight-year-old children performed in 2020 as part of a surveillance program known as the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network operating in 11 states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin).

The 1 in 36 rate is woefully out of date, but it appears to be the most authoritative figure cited online for how common autism has become among American children. It is no longer a stretch to call this disease or neurological condition an epidemic—a crisis of historical proportions. And the scary thing is that this epidemic continues to grow with no end in sight. The rate reported by the CDC in November 2021 for its 2018 survey was 1 in 44. Previous rates were 1 in 54 in 2016, 1 in 59 in 2014, 1 in 69 in 2012, 1 in 68 in 2010, 1 in 88 in 2008, 1 in 110 in 2006, 1 in 125 in 2004, 1 in 150 in 2002, and 1 in 150 in 2000.3

In the 1990s, the autism rates ranged from 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 1,000. During the 1960s, the autism rate was estimated at 1 in 10,000. By the 1980s, the rate had doubled to 2 in 10,000.3

The CDC has not yet published the results of its 2022 ADDM Network survey, but it’s unlikely any new figure is going to show a reversal in this long-standing worsening trend. Based on history, it is likely that the next ADDM Network surveys will show autism rates of around 1 in 30 in 2022 and 1 in 25 for 2024.

We are continuing to move steadily down the path of the unthinkable scenario of 1 in 2 children in the U.S. diagnosed with autism, predicted by Dr. Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2014.11

JAMA Network Open Study

A study published in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 30, 2024 found the rate of autism among children five to eight years old had risen to 1 in 33 (30.3 per 1,000) in 2022, and 1 in 34.7 (28.8 per 1,000) in children four years of age and younger.12 13 14 15

That study, led by Luke Grosvenor, PhD of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California research division, was based on electronic U.S. health and insurance claims records for more than nine million people per year from 2011 to 2022. The data was taken from 12 sites participating in the Mental Health Research Network—a consortium of research centers “embedded within large, diverse health care systems.”12 13 14 15

According to the study, a total of 12,264,003 members were enrolled in the network in 2022, including 2,359,359 children, or 19.2 percent of the total.12

Interestingly, the main focus of the study had to do less with the increased rate of autism in children and more with the sharp rise in autism diagnoses among adults. The study found that, overall, the autism rate spiked by 175 percent among Americans during the past two decades—from 1 in 435 (2.3 per 1,000) in 2002 to 1 in 159 (6.3 per 1,000) in 2022. During the period, however, the rate of autism among young adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s increased by more than 450 percent.12 13 14 15


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Click here to view References:

1 Autism Speaks. Autism statistics and facts.
2 Brown J. 1 in 36 Kids Diagnosed in Autism Spectrum Disorder StudyAutism Parenting Magazine Mar. 30, 2023.
3 Cáceres M. Nearing the Unthinkable Scenario of 1 in 2 Children With Autism in the U.S. The Vaccine Reaction July 2, 2024.
4 Cleveland Clinic. How Common Is Autism?
5 Maenner MJ et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Mar. 24, 2023.
6 Matter J. CDC: Autism rates on the rise, especially among minoritiesFox 5 Washington, DC Mar. 24, 2023.
7 Pare S. Rates of autism diagnosis in children are at an all time high, CDC report suggestsLive Science Mar. 29, 2023.
8 Ries J. Autism: Rates in Children Reach New Highs, Experts Explain WhyHealthline Mar. 27, 2023.
9 TVR Staff U.S. Autism Rate Rises to 1 in 36 ChildrenThe Vaccine Reaction Apr. 3, 2023.
10 Zielinski P. U.S. Autism Rates Hit All-Time High. Nextgov Mar. 27, 2023.
11 Cáceres M. A Nation Where Half of the Children Become Autistic? The Vaccine Reaction June 19, 2019.
12 Alltucker K. Autism is spiking in young adults, study finds. USA Today Oct. 30, 2024.
13 Grosvenor LP, Croen LA, Lynch FL. Autism Diagnosis Among US Children and Adults, 2011-2022. JAMA Network Open 2024; 7(10): e2442218.
14 Mundell E. Autism diagnoses rising among U.S. children, adults. Medical Xpress Oct. 30, 2024.
15 Musto J. Autism diagnosis rates have tripled in the last decade, new study finds. Independent Oct. 30, 2024.

11 Responses

  1. The one good thing that criminal Trump has done is nominate RFK jr. I hope he gets through.

    I don’t blame Democrats. They’re the same as all of us were until we had personal life experiences with vaccine injury; we believed vaccines were puppies and sunshine until we got the shock of our lives. If we do our job of education and advocacy they will come around.

    Republicans don’t even care on way or the other; they’re just anti-government wackos who want to use toxic anti-authoritarian divisiveness to gain power for personal profit.

    The good guys are the Democrats and the bad guys are Republicans, except on this issue its reverse due to gross ignorance on both sides. We Must Educate.

  2. This is unthinkable. If future generations can’t function enough to support themselves, there will be a collapse of society that is difficult to even imagine. In the 1990’s the rate was climbing,,,I was in college to earn a BA in Elem. Ed….and i was appalled then. I have not taught at any level for 25 years, but now work with adults with autistic features in residential setting. Connect the dots…show a chart of the the increasing vaccines given to kids comparing the autism rates.

  3. I believe it’s the technology the kids are being exposed to. There’s many studies showing that exposure to screens under age 3 causes autism like symptoms and if you don’t remove the screens early and fast, the brain remains in the autistic like state. I’m in this predicament now. I never vaccinated my child but I didn’t know screen time was harmful until she was diagnosed with autism. I removed tech almost 9 months ago and slowly my child is coming back to me, but it will take a very long time since her first two years of life we had the tv on so much, I thought it would teach her language in fact it did the opposite. Please anyone reading this keep tech and screens away from your kids. I believe it’s the screen time, since my child was never vaccinated.

    1. There are multiple and synergistic causes of autism, or autism-like conditions. But the steep rise in autism began even before the screens were ubiquitous in children’s lives. It began when the number of doses recommended for children rose, around the late 80’s, early 90’s when vaccines were ruled immune from prosecution from harms caused by vaccines (in 1986 by the Supreme Court, who also ruled that “vaccines are unavoidably unsafe.”) In fact rates of ALL autoimmune conditions and diseases in children steeply rise at that time. This does not mean that screens are not also extremely harmful to developing brains; I believe you are correct and they are, very harmful. I am glad your daughter is responding to the healthy changes you’ve made. Good for you for never vaccinating and providing evidence of how harmful screens also are.

  4. In California autism has surpassed intellectual disabilities (formally known as mental retardation) as the number one condition served by California’s developmental services system. This year alone, California will add at least 30,000 new children to it’s DD system. Children with autism, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Of the 30,000 new children entering the system this year, over 22,000 will be diagnosed with autism. A growing and severe public health crisis.

  5. Here in Minnesota, the prevalence rate has split into 2 demographics. Somali population is around 1 in 20, probably worse since many kids are hidden from public. The rest of the population may be around 1 in 30. ADDM reporting in MN is from the 2 most populated counties. Not impressed with the messaging from the MN ADDM network. They are from Univ of MN, not wanting to discuss real increases and the reasons why.

  6. Couldn’t have anything to do with the number of vaccines on the schedule jumping from 14 in 1986 to over 170 now… of course not… wake up people.

  7. Better start working on affordable recovery for these kids. Recovery is possible. Read two good books Healing Our Autistic Children by Dr. Julie Buckley and Autism-Believe in the Future by Ann Milan.

  8. The ‘good guys’ forced almost all to be Covid vaccinated under the Biden administration. I do not know ay ‘good guys’ in the political spectrum

  9. The decade of 1990 to 2000 will go down in history as one of the worst decade for health decisions that were made. Not only did the United States government ramp up the vaccine schedule tremendously as spoken about above due to the manufacturers of vaccines being granted immunity from being held responsible For safe vaccines that congress passed in the late 1980s. This is at least one reason why the vaccines were ramped up so high. Also in 1993 the New England Journal of Medicine reported just how dangerous acetaminophen/Tylenol was to the human body organs of the liver and kidney yet here we are in 2025 and Tylenol is still regularly recommended by the medical and dental profession. It’s no wonder there are so many people with end stage Renal and end stage Hepatic diseases, following Tylenol usage,… as so many people take it like candy thinking it’s safe to do so when in actuality it is far from safe. Choose wisely folks life is short. DO YOUR OWN DEEP DIVE INTO THE STUDIES AVAILABLE TO YOU!!

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