Autism Diagnoses on the Rise
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Growth/Prevalence

There is debate nationally about whether autism itself is on the rise -- or whether awareness is leading to more diagnoses of autism. Nonetheless, the numbers clearly are increasing.

National

A 2007 Centers for Disease Control study estimates that one out of 150 children has autism. A more specific study by the U.S. Department of Education examining children ages 6-11 nationwide estimates that the number of those children diagnosed with autism grew from fewer than one per 1,000 in 1996 to more than four per 1,000 in 2005. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that autism is growing at a rate of about 10 to 17 percent per year, making it the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. Autism is about four times more prevalent in boys than girls.

California

In California in 2007, nearly 40,000 public school students who were enrolled in special education were diagnosed with autism, well more than double the number in 2001 (about 14,000). However, the total number of children in special education remained relatively stable.

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In just seven years, from 2001 to 2007, the number of California
public school students enrolled in special education for autism grew
by more than 175 percent.