Accounting for autism’s prevalence

Recent articles

Global autism prevalence map

Map of global autism prevalence

View an interactive map of studies on autism prevalence around the world. The map highlights places where information is available — and places where information is missing.

By Spectrum
20 March 2025 | 5 min read
Out-of-focus photograph of a young girl sitting at a desk using an eraser.

U.S. study charts changing prevalence of profound and non-profound autism

Profound autism prevalence rose from 2002 to 2016, though not nearly as much as non-profound autism did.

By Angie Voyles Askham
19 April 2023 | 6 min read
Overhead picture of a racially diverse group of children playing while lying on a blue carpet.

U.S. autism prevalence continues to rise as race and sex gaps shrink, new stats show

About 1 in 36 children in the United States has autism, up almost 20 percent from the previous estimate, reflecting improved identification, particularly among girls and Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children.

By Peter Hess
23 March 2023 | 5 min read
A map of England displaying autism incidence.

Autism incidence in England varies by ethnicity, class, location

High rates of autism are linked to lower socioeconomic status and minority ethnic groups, according to the largest-ever autism incidence study.

By Isabel Ruehl
6 December 2022 | 5 min read
wooden pebble shapes stacked on top of each other, at varying heights, and according to colors of the spectrum.

Autism by the numbers: Explaining its apparent rise

Is autism really more common among children today than in generations past? This new downloadable book offers an in-depth guide to the various factors that have helped to drive autism prevalence numbers up.

By Spectrum
22 December 2021 | 1 min read
Birds-eye-view of children sitting on grass in a circle formation each inside a hula hoop to represent improved identification and diagnosis of autism.

U.S. autism prevalence inches upward as racial gaps close

Autism prevalence in the United States rose to 1 in 44 children in 2018, up from 1 in 54 in 2016.

By Peter Hess
2 December 2021 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?

Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.

By Paul Middlebrooks
15 July 2026 | 1 min read
Soha Ashrafi photo collage art.

Making an impact through academic administration

As executive director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, Soha Ashrafi supports more than 300 scientists, students and staff members.

By Katie Moisse
15 July 2026 | 7 min read
Illustration of birdsong, bird brain, and DNA.

This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience

A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.

By Sidarta Ribeiro
14 July 2026 | 4 min read