Autism diagnoses rising fastest among girls and women, study finds
A new Saint Louis University study of nearly a decade of health records finds that the recent rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is being driven largely by girls and women, who are being identified at significantly higher rates than in years past, often years later than boys and men.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that the rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is predominantly affecting girls and women, according to a new analysis of health records from a large Midwestern health care system. Led by Dr. Erick Messias, the research, conducted over a decade and spanning from 2016 to 2024, discovered that while male diagnoses remained relatively stable, female diagnoses surged after 2020, with these individuals being diagnosed an average of 3.4 years later than males.
This trend suggests that the increase in autism diagnoses is primarily due to improved recognition of autism in females, rather than an overall increase in autism prevalence. The study, which analyzed data from over 171,000 patients, also noted a decline in diagnoses of Asperger disorder, reflecting a shift towards the broader autism spectrum disorder classification.
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