National and State Estimates of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Open accessAbstract
U.S. national and state population-based estimates of adults living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are nonexistent due to the lack of existing surveillance systems funded to address this need. Therefore, we estimated national and state prevalence of adults 18-84 years living with ASD using simulation in conjunction with Bayesian hierarchal models. In 2017, we estimated that approximately 2.21% (95% simulation interval (SI) 1.95%, 2.45%) or 5,437,988 U.S. adults aged 18 and older have ASD, with state prevalence ranging from 1.97% (95% SI 1.55%, 2.45%) in Louisiana to 2.42% (95% SI 1.93%, 2.99%) in Massachusetts. Prevalence and case estimates of adults living with ASD (diagnosed and undiagnosed) can help states estimate the need for diagnosing and providing services to those unidentified.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Autism affects approximately 2% of the adult general population.
“Autism and ADHD affect approximately 2%41 and 5%42 of the adult general population.”
From Beyond bendy joints: number of variant connective tissue features predicts neurodivergent characteristics in hypermobile individuals with anxiety (2026) · cites this paper as [41]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
American Psychiatric Association (2013) · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 · Cited by 116,369 · see citing works
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Williams, J. B. W., & First, M. B. (2013) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.104 · Cited by 109,841 · see citing works
Gelman, A., Carlin, J. B., Stern, H. S., Dunson, D. B., Vehtari, A., & Rubin, D. B. (2013) · doi:10.1201/b16018 · Cited by 27,276 · cited 1× · see citing works
“We used partial pooling to reduce the influence of outliers and estimates from states with small numbers of observations, resulting in more statistically robust estimates (Gelman 2013).”
MethodDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.
Carter, M. J. (2014) · Therapeutic Recreation Journal · Cited by 15,154 · see citing works
Baio, J., Wiggins, L., Christensen, D. L., Maenner, M. J., Daniels, J., Warren, Z., Kurzius-Spencer, M., Zahorodny, W., Robinson, C., Rosenberg, et al. (2018) · MMWR. Surveillance Summaries · doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6706a1 · Cited by 6,078 · see citing works
Self-citationThe health status of adults on the autism spectrum
Croen, L. A., Zerbo, O., Qian, Y., Massolo, M. L., Rich, S., Sidney, S., & Kripke, C. (2015) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361315577517 · Cited by 1,110 · see citing works
Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder
Hirvikoski, T., Mittendorfer-Rutz, E., Boman, M., Larsson, H., Lichtenstein, P., & Bölte, S. (2016) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.160192 · Cited by 1,011 · see citing works
Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults in the Community in England
Brugha, T. S., McManus, S., Bankart, J., Scott, F., Purdon, S., Smith, J., Bebbington, P., Jenkins, R., & Meltzer, H. (2011) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.38 · Cited by 903 · see citing works
Congenital Heart Defects in the United States
Gilboa, S. M., Devine, O. J., Kucik, J. E., Oster, M. E., Riehle‐Colarusso, T. J., Nembhard, W. N., Xu, P., Correa, A., Jenkins, K. J., & Marelli, A. J. (2016) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/circulationaha.115.019307 · Cited by 705 · see citing works
The prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder among US children
Kogan, M. D., Vladutiu, C. J., Schieve, L. A., Ghandour, R. M., Blumberg, S. J., Zablotsky, B., Perrin, J. M., Shattuck, P., Kuhlthau, K. A., Harwood, R. L., et al. (2018) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2017-4161 · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis, management, and health services development
Murphy, C. M., Wilson, C., Robertson, D., Ecker, C., Daly, E., Hammond, N., Galanopoulos, A., Dud, I., Murphy, D., & McAlonan, G. M. (2016) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s65455 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Transition into Young Adulthood: National Autism Indicators Report
Roux, A. M., Rast, J. E., Anderson, K. A., Rava, J. A., & Shuttuck, P. (2015) · doi:10.17918/nairtransition2015 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in US States and the District of Columbia, 2013 to 2016
Rosenberg, E. S., Rosenthal, E. M., Hall, E. W., Barker, L. K., Hofmeister, M. G., Sullivan, P. S., Dietz, P. M., Mermin, J., & Ryerson, A. B. (2018) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6371 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Self-citationMortality and causes of death in autism spectrum disorders: An update
Mouridsen, S. E., Brønnum-Hansen, H., Rich, B., & Isager, T. (2008) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361308091653 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Mortality in Autism: A Prospective Longitudinal Community-Based Study
Gillberg, C., Billstedt, E., Sundh, V., & Gillberg, I. C. (2009) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0883-4 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Primary Care for Adults on the Autism Spectrum
Nicolaidis, C., Kripke, C. C., & Raymaker, D. (2014) · Medical Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.06.011 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Improving Early Identification and Intervention for Children at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Rotholz, D. A., Kinsman, A. M., Lacy, K. K., & Charles, J. M. (2017) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1061 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Janvier, Y. M., Harris, J. F., Coffield, C. N., Louis, B., Xie, M., Cidav, Z., & Mandell, D. S. (2016) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361315585055 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Schieve, L. A., Rice, C., Devine, O., Maenner, M. J., Lee, L.-C., Fitzgerald, R., Wingate, M. S., Schendel, D., Pettygrove, S., van Naarden Braun, K., et al. (2011) · Annals of Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.08.009 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationPickett, J. A., Paculdo, D. R., Shavelle, R. M., & Strauss, D. J. (2006) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0066-x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Parental Age and Autism Spectrum Disorders Among New York City Children 0–36 Months of Age
Quinlan, C., McVeigh, K. H., Driver, C. R., Govind, P., & Karpati, A. M. (2015) · Maternal and Child Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10995-015-1692-3 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 22 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Pickett JA, Paculdo DR, Shavelle RM, (2006). 1998–2002 Update on “Causes of death in autism”. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(2), 287– 288. 16565885
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Tackling healthcare access barriers for individuals with autism from diagnosis to adulthood
Malik-Soni, N., Shaker, A., Luck, H., Mullin, A. E., Wiley, R. E., Lewis, M. E. S., Fuentes, J., & Frazier, T. W. (2022) · Pediatric Research · doi:10.1038/s41390-021-01465-y · Cited by 309 · see citing works
Williams, Z. J., He, J. L., Cascio, C. J., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2021) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.030 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
“, 2020), a prevalence nearly double that of the general population (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundEpidemiological surveys of ASD: advances and remaining challenges
Fombonne, E., MacFarlane, H., & Salem, A. C. (2021) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05005-9 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Persico, A. M., Ricciardello, A., Lamberti, M., Turriziani, L., Cucinotta, F., Brogna, C., Vitiello, B., & Arango, C. (2021) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110326 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Risk of Self-harm in Children and Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Blanchard, A. M., Chihuri, S. T., DiGuiseppi, C. G., & Li, G. (2021) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.30272 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Autism Diagnosis Among US Children and Adults, 2011-2022
Grosvenor, L. P., Croen, L., Lynch, F. L., Marafino, B. J., Maye, M. P., Penfold, R. B., Simon, G. E., & Ames, J. (2024) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.42218 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Incel Ideology, Radicalization and Mental Health
Moskalenko, S., González, J. F.-G., Kates, N., & Morton, J. (2022) · The Journal of Intelligence Conflict and Warfare · doi:10.21810/jicw.v4i3.3817 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Williams, Z. J., Suzman, E., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2021) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000001005 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
“(Dietz et al. 2020; Maenner et al. 2020), these results suggest that between 2.”
The Scholarly Neglect of Black Autistic Adults in Autism Research
Malone, K. M., Pearson, J. N., Palazzo, K., Manns, L. D. C., Rivera, A. Q., & Martin, D. L. M. (2022) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0086 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Davis, M. T., Watts, G. W., & López, E. J. (2021) · Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101769 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Rinaldi, L. J., Simner, J., Koursarou, S., & Ward, J. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05623-x · Cited by 76 · see citing works
“This figure is slightly higher than the comparable general population (e.g., 2.2% in the USA; Dietz et al., 2020; Williams et al., 2021) but we suggest the wording of their question may have inflated the estimate (Have you been diagnosed with autism, or do you think you might have it?”
ResultInfluentialThe myth of vaccination and autism spectrum
Gabis, L. V., Attia, O. L., Goldman, M., Barak, N., Tefera, P., Shefer, S., Shaham, M., & Lerman‐Sagie, T. (2021) · European Journal of Paediatric Neurology · doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2021.12.011 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Clarke, L., & Fung, L. K. (2022) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613221102016 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Despite the fact that the current ASD prevalence is estimated to be one in every 44 children in the United States (Maenner et al., 2021), the healthcare system has not adapted to meet the needs of these individuals.”
BackgroundInfluentialCattane, N., Vernon, A. C., Borsini, A., Scassellati, C., Endres, D., Capuron, L., Tamouza, R., Benros, M. E., Leza, J. C., Pariante, C. M., et al. (2022) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.02.002 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
“My Autism Is My Own”: Autistic Identity and Intersectionality in the School Context
Cohen, S. R., Joseph, K., Levinson, S., Blacher, J., & Eisenhower, A. (2022) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0087 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Alper, M., Rauchberg, J. S., Simpson, E., Guberman, J., & Feinberg, S. (2023) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448231193091 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that roughly 2% of the adult population is autistic, generally on par with children (Dietz et al., 2020).”
Balovaptan vs Placebo for Social Communication in Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder
Hollander, E., Jacob, S., Jou, R. J., McNamara, N., Sikich, L., Tobe, R. H., Smith, J., Sanders, K. B., Squassante, L., Murtagh, L., et al. (2022) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.1717 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Braden, B. B., Pagni, B. A., Monahan, L., Walsh, M. J. M., Dixon, M. V., Delaney, S., Ballard, L., & Ware, J. E. (2022) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-021-03013-x · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Williams, Z. J., & Gotham, K. O. (2021) · Molecular Autism · doi:10.1186/s13229-021-00463-5 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“Although autism status was not assessed in the control sample, the general population prevalence of approximately 2% autistic adults [95] does not cause enough “diagnostic noise” in an otherwise non-autistic sample to meaningfully bias item parameter estimates or alter tests of differential item functioning [83].”
BackgroundFactors associated with age at autism diagnosis in a community sample of Australian adults
Huang, Y., Arnold, S. R. C., Foley, K., Lawson, L. P., Richdale, A. L., & Trollor, J. N. (2021) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2610 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Schott, W., Tao, S., & Shea, L. (2021) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2644 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“Information on prevalence of co-occurring conditions can support policymakers in the allocation of resources and in generating policy criteria for ASD and other physical and mental health state Medicaid programs.”
BackgroundInfluentialElectrophysiological signatures of brain aging in autism spectrum disorder
Dickinson, A. H., Jeste, S., & Milne, E. (2021) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2021.09.022 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Etiology, Epidemiology, and Challenges for Public Health
Ostrowski, J., Religioni, U., Gellert, B. M., Sytnik-Czetwertyński, J., & Pinkas, J. (2024) · Medical Science Monitor · doi:10.12659/msm.944161 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Lifespan
Tafolla, M., Singer, H., & Lord, C. (2025) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081423-031110 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Jacob, S., Veenstra-VanderWeele, J., Murphy, D., McCracken, J., Smith, J., Sanders, K., Meyenberg, C., Wiese, T., Deol-Bhullar, G., Wandel, C., et al. (2022) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00429-6 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self‐reported cognitive decline among middle and older age autistic adults
Klein, C. B., McQuaid, G. A., Charlton, R. A., Klinger, L. G., & Wallace, G. L. (2022) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2877 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“…survey research in autistic adults, the sample included a relatively high proportion of participants designated female at birth (Rubenstein & Furnier, 2021; Rødgaard et al., 2022) compared to population-based estimates for autistic children (Maenner et a., 2021) and adults (Dietz et al., 2020).”
ResultTimperio, A. M., Gevi, F., Cucinotta, F., Ricciardello, A., Turriziani, L., Scattoni, M. L., & Persico, A. M. (2022) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo12090797 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“Its prevalence rates range from 1/54 children and 1/45 adults in the United States [2,3] to 1/87 children in Italy and 1/102 adults in England [4,5].”
BackgroundA mixed methods study of autistic adults' mental health therapy experiences
Mazurek, M. O., Pappagianopoulos, J., Brunt, S., Sadikova, E., Nevill, R., Menezes, M., & Harkins, C. (2023) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.2835 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Placental DNA methylation changes and the early prediction of autism in full-term newborns
Bahado-Singh, R. O., Vishweswaraiah, S., Aydas, B., & Radhakrishna, U. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253340 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“21% of adults are living with some form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [5].”
BackgroundAutistic Traits Correlate with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Self-Selected Population Based Survey
Ryan, L., Beer, H., Thomson, E., Philcox, E., & Kelly, C. (2023) · OBM Neurobiology · doi:10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301155 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Lee, N., McQuaid, G. A., Grosman, H. E., Jayaram, S., & Wallace, G. L. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05804-8 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Adding to the small literature on work readiness skills in ASD, the current research provides the first large-scale description of work readiness skills among autistic adults living in the United States.”
InfluentialBanire, B., Al‐Thani, D., Qaraqe, M., Khowaja, K., & Mansoor, B. (2020) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2020.3045042 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Lee, D., Frey, G. C., Cothran, D. J., Harezlak, J., & Shih, P. C. (2022) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/35701 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“The AQ-10 is one of the few autism screening tools available for adults [18].”
BackgroundNitzan, T., Koller, J., Ilan, M., Faroy, M., Michaelovski, A., Menashe, I., Meiri, G., & Dinstein, I. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05757-y · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“However, given that the prevalence of ASD in the general population is ~ 2% (Dietz et al., 2020), and given that ~ 85% of children with ASD are late talkers (Adamson et al., 2019; Pickles et al., 2014), a reasonable conjecture is that approximately 1 in 5–12 children who are late talkers will…”
BackgroundUse of allied‐health services and medication among adults with ASD in Latin America
Torres, A., Lecusay, D., Valdez, D., Rosoli, A., Garrido, G., Cukier, S., Paula, C. S., García, R. N., Rattazzi, A., & Montiel‐Nava, C. (2021) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2583 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Even considering that developed countries also report widely underserving adults with ASD (Dietz et al., 2020; Friedman et al., 2013; Płatos & Pisula, 2019; Shattuck et al., 2011; Vogan et al., 2017), the lack of services in Latin America is striking, bordering the total absence of services.”
BackgroundBarriers to service and unmet need among autistic adolescents and young adults
Ishler, K. J., Berg, K. A., Olgac, T., Obeid, R., & Biegel, D. E. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613221150569 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“5 million adults in the United States have an autism diagnosis (Dietz et al., 2020; Kogan et al., 2018).”
BackgroundAutomated diagnosis of autism with artificial intelligence: State of the art
Valizadeh, A., Moassefi, M., Nakhostin-Ansari, A., Some’eh, S. H., Hosseini-Asl, S. H., Torbati, M. S., Aghajani, R., Ghorbani, Z. M., Oskouie, I. M., Aghajani, F., et al. (2023) · Reviews in the Neurosciences · doi:10.1515/revneuro-2023-0050 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Benevides, T. W., Carretta, H. J., Rust, G. S., & Shea, L. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251353 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Amat, A. Z., Adiani, D., Tauseef, M., Breen, M., Hunt, S., Swanson, A. R., Weitlauf, A. S., Warren, Z. E., & Sarkar, N. (2023) · IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering · doi:10.1109/tnsre.2023.3271139 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“One in 44 children and 1 in 45 adults are diagnosed with ASD in the US [2] with more than 70,000 autistic children reaching adulthood each year [3].”
BackgroundDonovan, J., Chiatti, B. D., McKeever, A. E., Bloch, J. R., Gonzales, M., & Birati, Y. (2023) · Women s Health · doi:10.1177/17455057231175312 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Three major themes emerged from the overall study: (1) having difficulty communicating, (2) feeling stressed in an uncertain environment, and (3) being an autistic mother.”
BackgroundMazurek, M. O., Sadikova, E., Cheak-Zamora, N., Hardin, A., Huerta, I., Sohl, K., & Malow, B. A. (2021) · Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101862 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Turriziani, L., Ricciardello, A., Cucinotta, F., Bellomo, F., Turturo, G., Boncoddo, M., Mirabelli, S., Scattoni, M. L., Rossi, M., & Persico, A. M. (2021) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2639 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Its incidence has dramatically risen during the last few decades, reaching the prevalence of 1/54 children and 1/45 adults in the United States (Dietz et al., 2020; Maenner et al., 2020), 1/87 children in Italy and 1/102 adults in England (Brugha et al., 2011; Narzisi et al., 2018).”
BackgroundRothman, E. F., Heller, S., & Holmes, L. G. (2021) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1996373 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Mentalizing and narrative coherence in autistic adults: Cerebellar sequencing and prediction.
Bylemans, T., Heleven, E., Baetens, K., Deroost, N., Baeken, C., & Overwalle, F. V. (2023) · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105045 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Maigoro, A. Y., & Lee, S. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13020688 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“21% of the adults in the United States are living with ASD [2], while 1 in 59 children aged 8 years have been identified as having ASD [3].”
BackgroundKemeny, B., Burk, S. V., Hutchins, D., & Gramlich, C. (2021) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05136-z · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“247) for adults with ASD 18 and older (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundChasing the conversation: Autistic experiences of speech perception
Sturrock, A., Guest, H., Hanks, G., Bendo, G. J., Plack, C. J., & Gowen, E. (2022) · Autism & Developmental Language Impairments · doi:10.1177/23969415221077532 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“The autistic population is a sizeable minority; recent evidence suggests that 2.2% of adults are autistic (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialJacob, S., Anagnostou, E. A., Hollander, E., Jou, R. J., McNamara, N., Sikich, L., Tobe, R. H., Murphy, D., McCracken, J. T., Ashford, E., et al. (2022) · Molecular Autism · doi:10.1186/s13229-022-00505-6 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Hughes, M. M., Shaw, K. A., Patrick, M., DiRienzo, M., Bakian, A. V., Bilder, D. A., Durkin, M. S., Hudson, A., Spivey, M. H., DaWalt, L. S., et al. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.12.010 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationBodo, C. R., Sălcudean, A., Nirestean, A. P., Lukács, E., Lica, M. M., Muntean, D.-L., Anculia, R. C., Popovici, R. A., Neda-Stepan, O., ENĂTESCU, V. R., et al. (2024) · Children · doi:10.3390/children11060699 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“In a large online clinical sample of adult misophonic patients [5], 3% were diagnosed with comorbid autism spectrum disorder, and 3.6% with self-reported misophonia were diagnosed with autism [24], a prevalence nearly double that of the general population [25,26].”
BackgroundInfluentialAtypical antipsychotics for autism spectrum disorder: a network meta-analysis
Meza, N., Franco, J. V. A., Sguassero, Y., Núñez, V., Liquitay, C. M. E., Rees, R., Williams, K. J., Rojas, V., Rojas, F., Pringsheim, T. M., et al. (2025) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd014965.pub2 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Deserving but not entitled: The social construction of autism spectrum disorder in federal policy
Chiri, G., Bergey, M. R., & Mackie, T. I. (2022) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114974 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Crucitti, J., Hyde, C. E., Enticott, P. G., & Stokes, M. A. (2022) · Journal of Integrative Neuroscience · doi:10.31083/j.jin2102057 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Examining Rates of Traumatic Events and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Autistic Adults
Andrzejewski, T. M., Batista, S. G., Abu-Ramadan, T. M., Breitenfeldt, K. E., Tassone, A. U., Winch, A. T., Rozek, D. C., & McDonnell, C. G. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2023.0022 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“38 There was no difference in autistic traits between autistic adults with a diagnosis (AQ-Short total score M = 78.64, SD = 11.28) and those who self-identified [AQ-Short total score M = 78.49, SD = 11.37; t (269) = 0.09, p = 0.93, Cohen’s d = 0.01].”
InfluentialArnold, M. L., & Saijo, K. (2021) · Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnmol.2021.717411 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Warreman, E., Nooteboom, L., Terry, M., Hoek, H., Leenen, P., van Rossum, E. V., Ramlal, D., Vermeiren, R., & Ester, W. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231155324 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“The approximately 1% (n = 309) of adults reporting an ASD diagnosis in our study sample matches the worldwide prevalence of 1%–2% (Baio et al., 2018; Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundSpecial Issue on Occupational Therapy With Neurodivergent People
Kornblau, B. L., & Robertson, S. M. (2021) · American Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.5014/ajot.2021.753001 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“population, according to recent research (Dietz et al., 2020).”
Andrews, H. E., Hedley, D., & Bury, S. M. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2022.0117 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Although autism is a type of neurodivergence identified in only 1%–2% of the population, 10,11 some research suggests that for every three clinically identified autistic children there may be two children who are autistic but go unidentified.”
Soft skills for success for job seekers with autism spectrum disorder
Herrick, S. J., Lu, W., Oursler, J. D., Beninato, J., Gbadamosi, S., Durante, A., & Meyers, E. (2022) · Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation · doi:10.3233/jvr-221203 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Dietz et al. (2020) reported that approximately 1.5 million children aged 3–17 in the United States are diagnosed with ASD, while approximately 2.21% (5,437,988) of U.S. adults aged 18 and older have ASD.”
BackgroundInfluentialWilliams, Z. J., & Gotham, K. O. (2021) · Molecular Autism · doi:10.1186/s13229-021-00427-9 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
RetractedJustice System Interactions Among Autistic Individuals: A Multiple Methods Analysis
Miller, K. H. K., Becker, A., Cooper, D., & Shea, L. (2021) · Crime & Delinquency · doi:10.1177/00111287211054733 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“21% of US adults being on the autism spectrum (Dietz et al., 2020), understanding the needs of autistic individuals is crucial to informing practices and policies that address this at-risk population.”
BackgroundInfluentialMortality rate and age of death among Medicare-enrolled autistic older adults
Krantz, M., Dalmacy, D. M., Bishop, L., Hyer, J. M., & Hand, B. N. (2022) · Research in Autism · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102077 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Aging Well and Autism: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for Future Research
Klein, C. B., & Klinger, L. G. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare12121207 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance systems in the United States only capture individuals born in 1992 and later, yet the estimated prevalence rate of autism in adulthood is 2.21% [117].”
BackgroundInfluentialBeyond Genes: Germline Disruption in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Escher, J., Yan, W., Rissman, E. F., Wang, H. V., Hernández, A., & Corces, V. G. (2021) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05304-1 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Treatment of Food Selectivity in an Adult With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Pubylski-Yanofchick, W., Zaki‐Scarpa, C., LaRue, R. H., Manente, C. J., & Kahng, S. (2021) · Behavior Analysis in Practice · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00650-z · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Exploring the home environment of adults living with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study
Louis-Delsoin, C., Morales, E., Ruiz-Rodrigo, A., & Rousseau, J. (2022) · International Journal of Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1080/20473869.2022.2071103 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“The prevalence of ASD in adults is generally poorly documented, due to a lack of census with this population compared to the pediatric population (Dietz et al. 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialAutism diagnosis in females by eating disorder professionals
Parsons, M. A. (2023) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00785-0 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Soto, E. F., Orantes, D., Russo, N. N., & Antshel, K. M. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241236228 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“is approximately 2% in both adults (Dietz et al., 2020) and college students (White et al., 2011).”
BackgroundLifespan service receipt and unmet needs among individuals on the autism spectrum
Song, W., Salzer, M. S., Nonnemacher, S. L., & Shea, L. (2022) · Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research · doi:10.1007/s10488-022-01192-4 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“The rising prevalence of ASD (i.e., from 1:68 in 2010 to 1:54 children in 2016) (Maenner et al., 2020) and an increasing number of autistic adults (Dietz et al., 2020) result in higher demand for autism-specific support.”
BackgroundJanicki, M. P., Hendrix, J. A., McCallion, P., & Panel, A. T. N. C. E. C. (2022) · Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring · doi:10.1002/dad2.12335 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Reynaud, È., Pottelette, J., Rabot, J., Rolling, J., Royant‐Parola, S., Hartley, S., Coutelle, R., & Schroder, C. M. (2022) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2692 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“ASD is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder, with prevalences estimated between 1.1% (Brugha et al., 2016) and 2.2% (Dietz et al., 2020) in adults.”
BackgroundInfluentialYield of array‐ CGH analysis in Tunisian children with autism spectrum disorder
Chehbani, F., Tomaiuolo, P., Picinelli, C., Baccarin, M., Castronovo, P., Scattoni, M. L., Gaddour, N., & Persico, A. M. (2022) · Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine · doi:10.1002/mgg3.1939 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Its prevalence rates range from 1/54 children and 1/45 adults in the United States (Dietz et al., 2020; Maenner et al., 2020), to 1/87 children in Italy and 1/102 adults in England (Brugha et al., 2011; Narzisi et al., 2018).”
Gardner, L. M., Cederberg, C. D., Hangauer, J., & Campbell, J. M. (2022) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104371 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Tomaiuolo, P., Piras, I. S., Sain, S. B., Picinelli, C., Baccarin, M., Castronovo, P., Morelli, M. J., Lazarević, D., Scattoni, M. L., Tonon, G., et al. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-27378-w · Cited by 14 · see citing works
The diversity of speech-perception difficulties among autistic individuals
Bendo, G. J., Sturrock, A., Hanks, G., Plack, C. J., Gowen, E., & Guest, H. (2024) · Autism & Developmental Language Impairments · doi:10.1177/23969415241227074 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Recent reports indicate that up to 2.2% of the population may be autistic (Dietz et al., 2020).”
InfluentialBrasher, S. N., Middour‐Oxler, B., Chambers, R., & Calamaro, C. (2021) · Journal of Emergency Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jen.2020.12.013 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Autism spectrum disorder in older adults with intellectual disability: a scoping review
Maguire, E., Mulryan, N., Sheerin, F. K., McCallion, P., & McCarron, M. (2021) · Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/ipm.2021.65 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Zaleski, A. L., Craig, K. J. T., Khan, R., Waber, R., Xin, W., Powers, M., Ramey, U., Verbrugge, D. J., & Fernandez-Turner, D. (2025) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-025-13296-2 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“In addition, the US has yet to establish a surveillance system to collect population-based data of adults living with ASD [4].”
InfluentialHart, L. C., Saha, H., Lawrence, S. L., Friedman, S., Irwin, P., & Hanks, C. D. (2021) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05171-w · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Batton, B., Kaplan, R. L., Ellis, K., Schmidt, C. T., & Nudelman, E. (2022) · Education and Treatment of Children · doi:10.1007/s43494-022-00081-7 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“This may be due to the vast gap in the supply and demand of ABA services in the United States, with one BCBA to every 604 individuals with ASD in the United States (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundRoux, A. M., Miller, K. H. K., TAO, S., Rast, J. E., Ventimiglia, J. C., Shattuck, P. T., & Shea, L. (2023) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12666 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Chan, D. V., & Doran, J. D. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231197446 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“With an estimated 5.4 million autistic adults in the United States who may need services, but have diminishing supports in adulthood, more attention is needed to improve service access, quality, and outcomes at the community level (Buescher et al., 2014; Dietz et al., 2020; Shattuck & Roux, 2014).”
BackgroundInfluentialSiegel, J. F., McGrath, K., Muniz, E. L. D. S., Siasoco, V., Chandan, P., Noonan, E., & Bonuck, K. A. (2023) · Medical Education Online · doi:10.1080/10872981.2023.2271224 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Marrus, N. M., Koth, K. A., Hellings, J. A., McDonald, R. G., Gwynette, M. F., Muhle, R., Lohr, W. D., & Vasa, R. A. (2022) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613221112197 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“In the case of ASD, the rising prevalence over the past 20 years has culminated in a growing population of affected adults (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundMcDonald, T. A. M. (2020) · Medical Hypotheses · doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110456 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
The Wellbeing of People with Neurodiverse Conditions
Colombo-Dougovito, A. M., Dillon, S. R., & Mpofu, E. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-59687-3_15 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Brasher, S. N., Stapel‐Wax, J. L., & Muirhead, L. (2022) · Nursing Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2022.04.014 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Pagni, B. A., Williams, C., Abrams, G., Blais, C., Brewer, G. A., & Braden, B. B. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02195-4 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting one in 54 children, with a projected cohort of 6 million autistic adults in the USA (Baio, 2012; Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundLong, K. A., LaRochelle, J., Gordillo, M. L., Pariseau, E. M., DeCelle, M. G., & Orsmond, G. I. (2023) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-023-06178-1 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“There are approximately 5.4 million autistic adults in the United States, representing 2.21% of the adult population (Dietz et al., 2020).”
InfluentialPappagianopoulos, J. E., Brunt, S., Smith, J. V., Menezes, M., Howard, M., Sadikova, E., Burroughs, C., & Mazurek, M. O. (2024) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.12861 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Onaiwu, M. G. (2020) · Ought The Journal of Autistic Culture · doi:10.9707/2833-1508.1048 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Levin, A. M., Gaeth, G. J., Levin, I. P., & Chen, S. (2022) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.2106 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
White, S. W., Schall, C. M., Santos, J. D., Maddox, B. B., Hillier, A. J., Klinger, L. G., & Pugliese, C. E. (2023) · Autism in Adulthood · doi:10.1089/aut.2022.0106 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Atypical antipsychotics for autism spectrum disorder: a network meta-analysis
Meza, N., Rees, R., Liquitay, C. M. E., Franco, J. V. A., Sguassero, Y., Williams, K. J., Pringsheim, T. M., Rojas, V., & Eva Madrid, A. (2022) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd014965 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Nardi, L., Chhabra, S., Leukel, P., Krueger‐Burg, D., Sommer, C., & Schmeißer, M. J. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199097 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Being a long-lasting condition, approximately 2% of the adult population is estimated to live with ASD (3).”
BackgroundPagán, A. F., Izuno‐Garcia, A. K., Hughes, K. R., Chapman, K. S., & Loveland, K. A. (2023) · Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s41252-023-00371-0 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“It is estimated that 2.21% of adults in the USA aged 18 and older have ASD (Dietz et al., 2020).”
InfluentialEliassen, A. H. (2024) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnae182 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Sturges, H. A., & Nunez, N. L. (2021) · Psychology Crime and Law · doi:10.1080/1068316x.2021.1900180 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“While often thought of exclusively in relation to children, ASD is estimated to impact over five million individuals over the age of 18 in the United States—approximately 3.62% of adult men and 0.86% of adult women (Dietz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialLink between the skin and autism spectrum disorder
Man, M., Yang, S., Mauro, T. M., Zhang, G., & Zhu, T. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1265472 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Hwang, B. H., & Lee, D. (2022) · International Journal of Disability Development and Education · doi:10.1080/1034912x.2022.2092081 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“This perspective also aligns with a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; autism should be conceived as a ‘life-long disability’ that requires continuous support for individuals of all ages throughout their life (Dietz, Rose, McArthur, & Maenner, 2020).”
Result
- Authors
- Dietz, P. M., Rose, C. E., McArthur, D., & Maenner, M.
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dietz, Patricia M.
- Venue
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2020-05-10
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 4258-4266
- ISSN
- 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3432
- PMC
- PMC9128411
- OpenAlex
- W3021253625
- Cited by
- 351
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 71 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 60 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 5
- FWCI
- 20.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (CC999999)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Medical Studies
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, autistic adults, prevalence estimation, state-level prevalence, undiagnosed autism, Bayesian hierarchical model, simulation
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adolescent, Adult, Bayes Theorem, Child, Computer Simulation, Female, Humans, Male, Massachusetts, Population Surveillance, Prevalence
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
