Washington, D.C., USA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase in the number of American children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. According to new findings unveiled by the agency, nearly one in 10 children in the US received a developmental disability diagnosis in 2021, representing an uptick from previous years.
Data from the National Health Interview Survey, which gathers information on the nation’s health through household questionnaires, revealed that the prevalence of developmental disabilities in children aged 3 to 17 rose from 7.4% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2021, as reported by the New York Post.
The survey’s findings were categorized into four groups: any developmental disability, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and other developmental delay. While the percentage of children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder remained relatively steady, the CDC observed an increase in “other developmental delays” from 5.1% in 2018 to 6.1% in 2021.
Children were more likely to be diagnosed with developmental disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic than they were in the year before, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://t.co/81oym2wxjd
— CNN (@CNN) July 13, 2023
Benjamin Zablotsky, a statistician for the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics and the lead author of the report, explained that developmental delays are often temporary diagnoses that can evolve into conditions like autism or intellectual disability. However, in many cases, children outgrow these delays.
The report also highlighted that the prevalence of developmental delays decreased as children aged, while the diagnosis of intellectual disabilities increased. Boys were found to be more likely than girls to receive a developmental disability diagnosis, with rates of 10.8% compared to 5.3%. Boys were also estimated to be three times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder.
When examining the data by race, Asian children were the least likely to be diagnosed with any developmental disability (4.9%), followed by Hispanic children (7.4%), black children (9.1%), and white children (8.4%).
Zablotsky emphasized the importance of understanding the prevalence of these conditions in the population in order to ensure adequate services are available for families and children in need.
The CDC’s report comes in the wake of news about the rising rates of autism spectrum disorder in the New York City metro area. Researchers from Rutgers University revealed earlier this year that the rates had tripled over a 16-year period, from 1% in 2000 to 3% in 2016.
Autism spectrum disorder affects individuals socially, behaviorally, and verbally, and it is typically diagnosed in early childhood. However, due to the challenges associated with identifying the disorder, some people may not receive an accurate diagnosis until much later in life.
Maureen Durkin, the Population Health Sciences chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggested that the increased rates of developmental disability diagnoses may be indicative of historical under-identification of disorders like autism. She viewed this as a sign of progress but emphasized the need for further efforts to prevent disabilities and improve overall outcomes.
