• In a pair of new reports (March 2023)—one focused on 8-year-olds and one on 4-year-olds—the CDC Centers for Disease Control) found that 1 out of every 36 children has autism. This is a significant increase from the 2021 estimate of 1 in 44, which was a big jump from 1 in 110 in 2006.


• Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the world (CDC, 2020).


• Early detection is important for all children with autism, as it helps connect them with helpful resources and interventions.

From the author: While people can argue that the rate has increased, in part, due to better identification, as someone who has spent considerable time in the schools, I remember the days when there really were only 1 or 2 children with ‘autistic-like’ traits in an entire school district. Today, as I pass through the halls of almost every school I visit, I see those traits in at least 1 or 2 children in almost every classroom. This alarming increase is also observed across other mental health, developmental, and learning conditions.