Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has seen a rapid increase in the past 20 years. Since autism was first introduced into the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM-III). Washington, DC, 1980), the prevalence has risen to roughly 1 in every 68 children based on a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Surveill Summ 63(2):1--21, 2014). This rapid change in prevalence strongly contrasts the prior rates of 6 per every 1000 children in the 1990s (Wing and Potter, Dev Disabil Res Rev 8(3):151--161, 2002). Although multiple theories exist regarding the cause of this rise in prevalence, the most hypothesized reason is an increased awareness for it. More pediatricians are screening patients, more parents are aware of ASD symptoms, and it is even becoming more prominent in the media.