![\"boy](\"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/young-boy-holding-puzzle-jigsaw-child-mental-heal-2025-01-10-04-02-01-utc-copy.jpg\")
Autism rates are rising, or at least that is what it appears. A study published in JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>\u00a0reveals that the number of children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased by 175% over a decade<\/em>. In this study, researchers analyzed electronic health records and insurance claims data from more than 12.2 million people from 2011 to 2022. Over that period, autism prevalence across the lifespan rose from 2.3 per 1,000 people to 6.3 per 1,000 people.<\/p>\nWhile this study offers insights into trends in autism diagnoses over time<\/em>, it does not replace or contradict\u00a0prevalence data from the CDC<\/a>, and should not be viewed as a standalone measure of autism prevalence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Among adults, the prevalence was notably low, particularly in those aged 45 and older. However, young adults aged 26 to 34 saw the sharpest rise in diagnoses, with rates increasing by 450% over the study period.<\/p>\n The reported increase in autism cases over recent decades is a complex phenomenon that can be attributed to several key factors:<\/em><\/p>\n It’s important to note that the increase in reported cases doesn’t necessarily mean that autism itself is becoming more common<\/em>. Many experts believe that autism has always been present at similar rates but was previously underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.<\/p>\n The apparent increase likely reflects a combination of better recognition, expanded diagnostic criteria, and improved access to diagnostic services rather than a true increase in the condition’s occurrence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thomas Fryar, LPC-A and therapist at Prasad Counseling<\/a> says, \u201cAutism rests on a spectrum and its impact on quality of life is something that depends on several factors such as the level of autism and the coping strategies that the individual personally knows. Also, while individuals with autism do not automatically perform certain processes, these are still things they can learn to do like any other skill<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Katelyn Dade, LPC-A and therapist at Prasad Counseling<\/a> adds, \u201cThe increasing prevalence of autism diagnoses can be attributed to several factors from a clinical perspective. First, there has been a significant improvement in awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), leading to more individuals, including those with milder forms of the condition, being identified and diagnosed. <\/em><\/p>\n Clinicians are now more adept at recognizing a broader range of symptoms across the spectrum, from non-verbal to highly functioning individuals, allowing for the identification of ASD at younger ages, which was not always the case in the past. Environmental influences, such as changes in parental age, prenatal health, and exposure to certain chemicals, have also been suggested as contributing factors, although definitive evidence is still limited. <\/em><\/p>\n Understanding these factors is crucial for healthcare planning, educational services, and support systems to better serve individuals with autism and their families<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n At Prasad Counseling and Training we have two therapists who work with children and adults who have ASD.<\/strong> Those therapists have immediate availability and are paneled with Cigna and some versions of Aetna. Learn more about the many available treatments for autism<\/a> at our Houston therapy office.\u00a0Reach out to us<\/a> to learn about counseling options for people of all ages.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Why Is the Number of Autistic People So High Now? Autism rates are rising, or at least that is what it appears. A study published in JAMA Network Open\u00a0reveals that the number of children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased by 175% over a decade. In this study, researchers analyzed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,15,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-329783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-individual","category-kids"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329783"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":329845,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329783\/revisions\/329845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/329787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/h3>\n
Why is autism increasing?<\/em><\/h3>\n
![\"counseling](\"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/autism-man-painting.jpg\")
Results showed that<\/strong> Autism Spectrum Disorder prevalence was highest among children aged 5 to 8<\/strong>, reaching 30.3 per 1,000 children in 2022\u2014about the same as the most recent CDC prevalence rate.<\/p>\n\n
![\"toddler](\"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/girl-smiling.jpg\")
Earlier Identification:<\/strong> Children are now being evaluated for autism at younger ages, with reliable diagnosis possible as early as 18-24 months<\/em>. This earlier identification means more children are receiving diagnoses who might have previously gone unrecognized until later in life or missed diagnosis altogether.<\/li>\n<\/h3>\n
Problems with Autism Diagnosis<\/h3>\n
Reasons Why Autism Rates are Rising<\/h4>\n
![\"Thomas](\"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Thomas-sansL3-640x663.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Katelyn](\"https:\/\/prasadcounseling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Katelyn-Bio-640x663.jpg\")
<\/p>\n