The CDC speaks on prevalence, and we listen.

This week we conduct an interview with Michelle Hughes, PhD, epidemiologist with the CDC, who answers all of our questions about how many people have autism, how they are counted, what has changed since the last count and why the CDC are counting more kids than they were 10 years ago.

You can read more about her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemergler/

Here is a link to the 8 year old counting study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36952288/

Here is the follow up to when they turned 16: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36849336/

One in 36 and what it predicts

The CDC released data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) on Thursday. In the past 2 years, the prevalence of autism has increased about 20%. Why? Are there more new cases or is diagnostic practices improving? For 20 years there has been fewer Black and Hispanic kids diagnosed. Is that still the case? Listen to this week’s #ASFpodcast to hear some early thoughts, the CDC will join us for an interview on April 20th:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Our 1 in 54 need more

On Thursday the 26th, the Centers for Disease Control released new prevalence numbers: the prevalence of ASD has jumped from 1 in 59 to 1 in 54 kids who are 8. They also revealed prevalence numbers in 4 year olds. On this week’s podcast. CDC epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Maenner (and ASF class of 2010 predoctoral fellow) explains the numbers, where they came from, what they mean and where the trend in prevalence numbers is going. Shockingly, even though the numbers keep going up, some people are not getting an autism diagnosis when they should.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/ss/ss6904a1.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm-community-report/index.html