Global Prevalence of Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders

By Mayada Elsabbagh, G. Divan, Yun-Joo Koh, Y. Kim, Shuaib Kauchali, Carlos Marcín, C. Montiel-Nava, Vikram Patel, C. S. Paula, Chongying Wang and 2 more. Autism Research, 2012

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We provide a systematic review of epidemiological surveys of autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) worldwide. A secondary aim was to consider the possible impact of geographic, cultural/ethnic, and socioeconomic factors on prevalence estimates and on clinical presentation of PDD. Based on the evidence reviewed, the median of prevalence estimates of autism spectrum disorders was 62/10 000. While existing estimates are variable, the evidence reviewed does not support differences in PDD prevalence by geographic region nor of a strong impact of ethnic/cultural or socioeconomic factors. However, power to detect such effects is seriously limited in existing data sets, particularly in low‐income countries. While it is clear that prevalence estimates have increased over time and these vary in different neighboring and distant regions, these findings most likely represent broadening of the diagnostic concets, diagnostic switching from other developmental disabilities to PDD, service availability, and awareness of autistic spectrum disorders in both the lay and professional public. The lack of evidence from the majority of the world's population suggests a critical need for further research and capacity building in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Autism Res 2012, 5: 160–179. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Subfields: Cognitive Neuroscience, Education, Epidemiology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5cb02ee6c3aaa993beaf5ce1379539f54d9d5d61

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Citations in the corpus

“People Might Understand Me Better”: Diagnostic Disclosure Experiences of Autistic Individuals in the Workplace (2021, neutral): “42 This overrep-resentation based on gender is also common in online surveys; research has shown that females are more likely than males to participate in survey studies, 43 and this was true for the larger Diverse Minds Survey.”
The Changing Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (2016, background): “Lastly, reliable prevalence data from developing countries are still sparse, and despite growing interest over the past decade, formal study of the influence of global cultural variations on ASD awareness and diagnosis remains limited (57, 196).”
What should autism research focus upon? Community views and priorities from the United Kingdom (2014, result): “…in the United Kingdom (UK) has an autism spectrum condition (Baird et al., 2006; Brugha et al., 2011) – more than a 20-fold increase from the results of the first epidemiological study (Lotter, 1966) – and such estimates are similar in other parts of the world (e.g. Elsabbagh et al., 2012).”
ADHD prevalence estimates across three decades: an updated systematic review and meta-regression analysis. (2013, background): “Several studies have documented an increase in prevalence rates of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in diverse cultures over past years.(9) There is very good evidence indicating that changes in diagnostic Key Messages”
Heritability of autism spectrum disorders: a meta‐analysis of twin studies (2015, background): “The prevalence for Autism is considered to be 1% in the general population (Baird et al., 2006; Baxter et al., 2015; Brugha et al., 2011; Elsabbagh et al., 2012).”
Precise minds in uncertain worlds: predictive coding in autism. (2014, background): “In addition, a significant proportion of the ASD population is intellectually disabled (Elsabbagh et al., 2012).”
Prevalence and Trends of Developmental Disabilities among Children in the US: 2009-2017 (2019, background): “The reported prevalence of ASD in the United States and other industrialized countries has shown marked increases in recent decades.(2,20) However, understanding changes to ASD prevalence remains particularly challenging given that the diagnosis of ASD is based on a symptom profile, and health care ”
Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years - autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2010. (2014, background): “Several studies have shown similar patterns of increases in ASD prevalence among persons without intellectual disability (27), although which factors are driving this change is unclear.”