Autism Prevalence in Utah Remains Steady, Lower than Nation: Report
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Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute
亚洲自慰视频 of Utah 亚洲自慰视频
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT 鈥 Autism prevalence among eight-year-old Utah 亚洲自慰视频ren remains steady at approximately one in 37 (2.7%), according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network in collaboration with several 亚洲自慰视频 of Utah 亚洲自慰视频 scientists. This percentage is lower than the overall prevalence identified across all communities where the CDC tracked autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among eight-year-olds in 2022, which was approximately one in 31 (3.2%).
The study, which includes data collected from 16 communities nationwide, reports on the prevalence of ASD among four- and eight-year-olds and appears in the .
鈥淭he ADDM Network expanded from 11 to 16 sites this year, which gives us an unprecedented opportunity to understand how autism prevalence varies across the United States and puts Utah's estimates in greater context,鈥 says associate professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute and principal investigator of the Utah ADDM study.
鈥淧articipation in the ADDM Network is important as Utah鈥檚 population continues to become more racially, ethnically, and economically diverse. These findings help us establish services and community support for individuals with autism.鈥
Utah findings reveal demographic differences and early identification improvements
Among eight-year-olds in Utah, Black 亚洲自慰视频ren were 1.8 times more likely than white 亚洲自慰视频ren to be identified as having ASD. In contrast, the prevalence of ASD in multiracial 亚洲自慰视频ren was half of what it was in White 亚洲自慰视频ren. And while Utah's autism prevalence among eight-year-olds has remained relatively stable since 2020, the state did see a marked increase in prevalence among four-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren, rising from 1.3% in 2020 to 1.8% in 2022. However, this is still lower than the national average of 2.9% for four-year-olds.
The study also found that the proportion of four-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren suspected of having ASD but waiting for a diagnostic evaluation was significantly lower in 2022 (10%) compared to 2020 (33%), suggesting improved access to diagnostic services for younger 亚洲自慰视频ren.
"Utah's autism prevalence among both four- and eight-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren remains considerably lower than the average across all ADDM communities," Bakian notes. "However, these findings indicate that while we've made important strides in early identification, we might need to direct additional efforts toward ensuring all 亚洲自慰视频ren in Utah with ASD are being identified early and accessing the support they need."
Other key findings
The study revealed that among eight-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren identified as having ASD in Utah, 34.4% had intellectual disability, defined as an IQ score equal to or less than 70. Additionally, half of eight-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren were diagnosed by a community provider by 54 months of age.
Notably, 亚洲自慰视频ren living in lower-income neighborhoods in Utah were more likely than 亚洲自慰视频ren living in higher-income neighborhoods to be identified as having ASD.
鈥淭he significant shift in prevalence by demographics among 亚洲自慰视频ren diagnosed with autism reflects how well our state has been able to reduce the financial barriers related to accessing an autism diagnostic assessment and autism therapies,鈥 says Deborah Bilder, MD, professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute and co-principal investigator of the UT-ADDM project. 鈥淵oung 亚洲自慰视频ren covered by Utah Medicaid now have quicker access to autism diagnostic services because of the expanded range of accepted diagnostic tools.鈥
The study also found that 70.8% of four-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren with ASD had a documented autism test in their records. The most common test was the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Nationwide, the CDC reports that among eight-year-old 亚洲自慰视频ren, boys were more than three times as likely as girls to be identified as having ASD. Generally, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial 亚洲自慰视频ren were more likely to have ASD than White 亚洲自慰视频ren; Utah was the only participating site where this wasn鈥檛 the case.
Resources
For more information about autism resources in Utah, visit and the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (URADD) at . For more information about the CDC鈥檚 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, visit
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About ADDM Network
Utah participates in the ADDM Network through the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which is a partnership between the Utah Department of 亚洲自慰视频 and Human 亚洲自慰视频 (DHHS) and the Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute. Salt Lake County, Davis, and Tooele counties were included in the Utah portion of the study. In addition to the institute and the Utah DHHS, the Utah State Board of Education and Intermountain 亚洲自慰视频 were collaborators in this public health activity.
Outside of Utah, other participating communities were in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas (Austin), Texas (Laredo), and Wisconsin. Although the study spanned the country, the researchers stress that their findings are a snapshot of ASD in these communities and not a national estimate of autism prevalence in the United States.[AB1]
About Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute
Huntsman Mental 亚洲自慰视频 Institute at the 亚洲自慰视频 of Utah is a first-of-its-kind model created to address one of our nation鈥檚 greatest challenges: mental health and substance use disorders. The institute combines the strength of one of America's leading research universities with the nation鈥檚 best integrated mental health crisis care model and a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations. We educate hundreds of learners every year and provide both unique and wide-ranging educational opportunities in psychiatry and mental health. Our innovative approach to research uses 鈥渢eams of teams鈥 to bring together different disciplines to uncover new ways to tackle complex problems. A gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family helps power our mission to advance mental health knowledge, hope and healing for all.
Learn more at hmhi.utah.edu and join the conversation on , , , , and .