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Dive Overview:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey, the prevalence of developmental disabilities among children ages 3 to 17 increased from 7.4% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2021. The CDC called the increase “significant,” but said there was no notable change in the prevalence of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability over the same period, indicating that the increase is related to the “other developmental delay” category. The study also found that boys and black and non-Hispanic children were more likely to be diagnosed with developmental disabilities. While the prevalence of developmental disabilities was similar across different age groups, the study showed that the prevalence of intellectual disabilities increased with the age of children.
Dive Insights:
The report, which draws on findings from the nationwide NHIS household survey, did not explore reasons for the rise in developmental disability diagnoses, but the statistics are consistent with other surveys and data collected by the federal government.
A March CDC report found that 1 in 36 8-year-olds were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2020, including 4% of boys and 1% of girls. That rate has fallen from 1 in 150 two decades ago to 1 in 44 in 2018.
The March report also noted an intriguing trend: For the first time, the prevalence of autism among 8-year-olds was lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups. For years, advocates have expressed concern about the underidentification of students of color who have autism.
According to a 2022 U.S. Department of Education report to Congress, of students ages 5 to 21 receiving special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in fall 2020, 11.6% had autism and 6.1% had an intellectual disability.
According to the Department of Education report, American Indian or Alaska Native students ages 5 to 21 were 3.5 times more likely to receive assistance under IDEA for developmental delays in fall 2020 than students from all other racial/ethnic groups combined.
Among students covered by IDEA, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students had the highest prevalence of autism, and Black or African American students had the highest rates of intellectual disability.