Bottom Line: The frequency of autism spectrum disorder among U.S. children and adolescents was stable from 2014-2016 based on data from a nationally representative annual survey.
Why The Research Is Interesting: Previous surveys have reported a steady increase in the frequency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in U.S. children over the past two decades but a recent estimate suggested a plateau in 2012.
Who: 30,502 U.S. children and adolescents
What and When : Estimate of the frequency of ASD from 2014-2016 using data from the National Health Interview Survey
How (Study Design) : This is a descriptive study, so the researchers did not gather information about underlying causes for the findings and cannot make conclusions about their medical significance.
Authors: Wei Bao, M.D., Ph.D., University of Iowa, Iowa City, and coauthors.
Results - There was no apparent increase over the three year study period in the frequency of ASD.
Study Limitations: ASD diagnosis was self-reported rather than measured or diagnosed by experts in child health.
For more details and to read the full study, please visit the For The Media website .
(doi:10.1001/jama.2017.17812)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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