Data and research

The overall Autism Developmental and Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network prevalence of 8-year-old children identified with ASD was 1 in 31 or 3.2% in the United States, where the CDC tracked ASD in 2022. The age of clinical ASD diagnosis in the US was 3 years 11 months.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website includes additional data and statistics on autism spectrum disorder.

The Minnesota Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring network (ADDM) provides prevalence based estimates of ASD over time.

The data can help inform:

• Characteristics of children with ASD
• Whether ASD is more common in certain groups of children than others and if those differences are changing over time.
• The impact of ASD and related conditions upon children, families, and communities in Minnesota and across the United States.

Using data from 2022, MN-ADDM researchers found 1 in 28 (3.6%) 8-year-old children were identified with ASD. This is comparable to the overall ADDM Network prevalence of 8-year-old children identified with ASD (1 in 31 or 3.2%) in the United States where the CDC tracked ASD in 2022. Males were 3.1 times more likely to be identified with ASD than females. The age of clinical ASD diagnosis in MN was 4 years 7 months. The age of clinical ASD diagnosis in the US was 3 years 11 months.

Using data from 2022, MN-ADDM researchers found 1 in 40 (2.5%) 4-year-old children were identified with ASD. This is a lower rate than the overall ADDM Network prevalence of 4-year-old children identified with ASD (1 in 34 or 2.9%) in the United States where the CDC tracked ASD in 2022. Males were 2.8 times more likely to be identified with ASD than females.

Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) Data Center has information on school test scores, report cards, and other information to help parents be informed about school performance. It provides a variety of resources to aid in the interpretation of data provided by MDE. The resources include infographics, which can help interpret data. There are also overviews of reports. To help you identify which reports meet your needs, and ensure accurate interpretation of the data, user guides and practical suggestions are provided. The department also maintains a helpful site about ASD.

SPARK is a free online study with a simple mission: to speed up research and advance the understanding of autism. SPARK aims to be the largest study of its kind with the goal of building a community of 50,000 individuals with autism and their families across the nation. The entire autism community is encouraged to participate, including individuals with autism, their parents, and siblings.

An important part of SPARK is the collection of genetic information (called “DNA”) so it can be analyzed to improve what we know about the role of specific cells called “genes” that have an impact on the development of autism. SPARK will ask you to share basic information about your medical and family history, and if you choose, a DNA sample using a saliva collection kit. Your DNA could spark the next genetic discovery. In return, you will be able to get updates on the latest research, find possible genetic causes of autism in your own family, join other autism research studies, and power future autism research for years to come.

SPARK is sponsored by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), a scientific initiative of the Simons Foundation. Visit SPARK to learn more about how you can participate in the study. If you have any questions regarding the study, you can contact the SPARK coordinators at spark-mn@umn.edu or call 612-624-0116.

U of M—CAN Lab aims to advance current research efforts, interventions, and care for all neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including Autism, ADHD, Tic Disorders, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Dr. Suma Jacob and Dr. Christine Conelea, with a full team of dedicated researchers, coordinators, and volunteers, come together to answer many questions about how neurodevelopmental disorders originate, how they progress, and how they can be treated.

If you have any questions about the program you can email or call.

Wilder Research worked with the Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division to provide evaluation and research for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) services. Wilder Research used a Journey Mapping method to understand how parents of children with autism experience the service system. Mapping the Journey of Families Who Have Children with Autism through Social and Human Services, Medical and Education Systems summarizes their findings.