Resources | Autism Facts & Statistics

About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (CDC, 2014). There is no single known cause of autism spectrum disorder. There is no cure for autism spectrum disorder.
Autism spectrum disorder impacts the nervous system. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common symptoms include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors.
Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births (CDC, 2014). ASD can be diagnosed as early as age 2, however most children are not diagnosed with ASD until after age 4.
More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder (Buescher et al., 2014).
Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68) (CDC, 2014).
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability (CDC, 2008). Prevalence has increased by 6-15 percent each year from 2002 to 2010 (Based on biennial numbers from the CDC).
Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually (Buescher et al., 2014).