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Cited by 109Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild Nutrition and Feeding IssuesFamily and Disability Support Research

Autism spectrum disorder: Presentation and prevalence in a nationally representative Australian sample

Randall, Melinda, Sciberras, Emma, Brignell, Amanda, Ihsen, Elfriede, Efron, Daryl, Dissanayake, Cheryl, Williams, Katrina·2016·Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1177/0004867415595287
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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in Australia, and examine the developmental profile of children with autism spectrum disorder compared to their peers. Design/Setting: Secondary analyses were undertaken on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants: Children were recruited at kindergarten (K cohort) and birth (B cohort), and subsequently completed two-yearly ‘waves’ of assessments. Main Outcomes: Autism spectrum disorder diagnostic status was ascertained at Wave 4 along with age of diagnosis by parent report. Standardised tools were used to assess children’s quality of life, behaviour, receptive vocabulary and non-verbal intelligence. Results: Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder was 2.5% (95% confidence interval = [2.0, 3.0]) in the B cohort compared to 1.5% (95% confidence interval = [1.2, 2.0]) in the K cohort. In both cohorts, children with autism spectrum disorder had poorer mean quality of life, emotional-behavioural functioning and receptive vocabulary compared with non-autism spectrum disorder peers, and a higher proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder had problems in these areas. However, between 6% and 9% of children with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder and 12–20% with mild autism spectrum disorder were not reported to have problems with social interaction. Conclusion: The prevalence of a parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder before age 7 in Australia was higher in the B cohort. Data from future Longitudinal Study of Australian Children waves will clarify whether autism spectrum disorder has been diagnosed earlier in the B cohort or if there is a continued increase in prevalence. Future waves will also provide crucial information about the types and severity of problems experienced during the primary and secondary school years which will assist service planning.

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  • In Australia, ASD prevalence was higher for children born 4 years apart (1999/2000 vs. 2003/2004).

    “Similarly in Australia, prevalence was higher for children born 4 years apart (1999/2000 vs. 2003/2004; May et al., 2017; May et al., 2020; Randall et al., 2016).”

    From Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update (2022) · cites this paper as Randall et al., 2016

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Authors
Randall, M., Sciberras, E., Brignell, A., Ihsen, E., Efron, D., Dissanayake, C., & Williams, K.
Affiliations
  • Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • La Trobe University (AU)
Corresponding author
Williams, Katrina
ORCID
Venue
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2015-08-17
Volume
50
Issue
3
Pages
243-253
ISSN
  • 0004-8674 (ISSN-L)
  • 1440-1614
DOI
10.1177/0004867415595287
OpenAlex
W1863812935
Cited by
109
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 4
FWCI
5.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Apex Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, prevalence, age at diagnosis, developmental profile, quality of life, receptive vocabulary, nonverbal intelligence, social interaction, autism severity, Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, birth cohort
MeSH terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Australia, Child, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Interpersonal Relations, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Quality of Life, Severity of Illness Index, Prevalence

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