Racial Differences in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Zachary Gallin, Ana M Kolevzon, Abraham Reichenberg and 2 others
PMID 38941049WHAT IT FOUND
US autism prevalence has shifted by race.
Once highest in White children, it is now higher in Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander children born after 2010. This reflects better access and diagnosis in minority groups, not necessarily a change in underlying rates.
Key findings
01Autism prevalence was highest among White children in earlier birth cohorts but inverted for children born in 2008 or later.
02In the 2012 birth cohort, prevalence was higher among Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black children than among White children.
03The shift may be due to improvements in diagnosis and access to care for racial minorities, rather than changes in true prevalence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
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What it does not show
The review is not registered and no protocol was prepared. Included studies had a moderate risk of bias due to confounding by socioeconomic factors. Diagnostic criteria varied across studies (e.g., DSM-IV, DSM-5, IDEA eligibility), which may affect comparability. Definitions of race and ethnicity groups varied between studies. The review cannot determine if the shift in prevalence reflects true changes in autism rates or changes in diagnosis and access.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher prevalence rates in minority children as evidence that autism is more common in these groups. The data suggests this shift is driven by improved diagnosis and access to care, meaning these children were previously underdiagnosed.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →