ATLANTA - One in 31 U.S. children age 8 or younger are now diagnosed with autism, according to a study the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Tuesday.

Autism diagnoses are on the rise, according to the study. In 2000, the CDC said 1 in 150 children had been diagnosed with autism. The figure was 1 in 54 in 2016, per the agency.

The CDC attributes the rise of autism diagnoses to improved screening in contrast to claims from President Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading proponent of a debunked theory linking autism and vaccines.

Boys were more than three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism, with higher rates among Asian, Black and Hispanic children than white children, per the study.

"Differences in the prevalence of children identified with [autism spectrum disorder] across communities might be due to differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices," the report states.

Researchers noted that areas with the highest rates, such as California, have widespread resources dedicated to early detection.

"Research has not demonstrated that living in certain communities puts children at greater risk for developing ASD," the report states.

In response to the CDC report, HHS said Tuesday that the increase in autism prevalence "cannot be solely attributed to the expansion of diagnoses to include higher functioning children."

Kennedy said in a statement that autism is "preventable" and that "the autism epidemic has now reached a scale unprecedented in human history because it affects the young."

During a Cabinet meeting this month, Kennedy said his department had launched a "massive" research effort that will determine the cause of autism by September, but it's not immediately clear what the changes in methods will be.

The health secretary is planning a press conference for 11am ET Wednesday to discuss the CDC's findings. (Source: Axios)

Story Date: April 16, 2025