Prevalence of Autism In North Carolina

North Carolina has a higher prevalence of autism than the national average. In 2020, the CDC released a report that identified 1 in 39 (2.5%) of 8-year-olds in North Carolina as autistic. That's much higher than the national prevalence of 1 in 54 (1.85%).

However, since 2020, autism has become much more common across the U.S., which means it's safe to assume that the prevalence of autism in North Carolina has increased over the last few years.

FAQs

Which children were more likely to be identified with autism?

Boys were almost 5 times more likely to be identified with autism than girls.

In fact, 1 in 35 boys and 1 in 179 girls was identified with autism.

Also, white and black children were more likely to be identified with autism than Hispanic children.

1. 1 in 53 white children had autism.
2. 1 in 64 black children had autism.
3. 1 in 103 Hispanic children had autism.
4. 1 in 53 Asian or Pacific Islander had autism.

When were children first evaluated for developmental concerns?

59% of children identified with autism was evaluated for developmental concerns by the time they were 3 years old.

When were children first diagnosed with autism by a community provider?

Even though children can be diagnosed as early as age 2 years, they were diagnosed at age 3 years and 8 months on average.

1. Autistic disorder was diagnosed at age 3 years and 1 month.
2. Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specific (PDD-NOS) was diagnosed at age 4 years and 3 months.
3. Asperger's was diagnosed at age 6 years and 4 months. However, as of 2023 Asperger's became included of the autism spectrum.