Autism Prevalence in Utah Remains Steady, Lower than Nation: Report
Media Contact:
Patricia Brandt
PR/Communications Manager
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
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Email: Patricia.Brandt@hsc.utah.edu
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Autism prevalence among eight-year-old Utah children remains steady at approximately one in 37 (2.7%), according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network in collaboration with several 鶹ѧƷ scientists. This percentage is lower than the overall prevalence identified across all communities where the CDC tracked autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among eight-year-olds in 2022, which was approximately one in 31 (3.2%).
The study, which includes data collected from 16 communities nationwide, reports on the prevalence of ASD among four- and eight-year-olds and appears in the .
“The ADDM Network expanded from 11 to 16 sites this year, which gives us an unprecedented opportunity to understand how autism prevalence varies across the United States and puts Utah's estimates in greater context,” says associate professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and principal investigator of the Utah ADDM study.
“Participation in the ADDM Network is important as Utah’s population continues to become more racially, ethnically, and economically diverse. These findings help us establish services and community support for individuals with autism.”
Utah findings reveal demographic differences and early identification improvements
Among eight-year-olds in Utah, Black children were 1.8 times more likely than White children to be identified as having ASD, yet autism prevalence in multiracial children was half of what it was in White children. And while Utah's autism prevalence among eight-year-olds has remained relatively stable since 2020, the state did see a marked increase in prevalence among four-year-old children, rising from 1.3% in 2020 to 1.8% in 2022. However, this is still lower than the national average of 2.9% for four-year-olds.
The study also found that the proportion of four-year-old children suspected of having ASD but waiting for a diagnostic evaluation was significantly lower in 2022 (10%) compared to 2020 (33%), suggesting improved access to diagnostic services for younger children.
"Utah's autism prevalence among both four- and eight-year-old children remains considerably lower than the average across all ADDM communities," Bakian notes. "However, these findings indicate that while we've made important strides in early identification, we might need to direct additional efforts toward ensuring all children in Utah with ASD are being identified early and accessing the support they need."
Other key findings
The study revealed that among eight-year-old children identified as having ASD in Utah, 34.4% had intellectual disability, defined as an IQ score equal to or less than 70. Additionally, half of eight-year-old children were diagnosed by a community provider by 54 months of age.
Notably, children living in lower-income neighborhoods in Utah were more likely than children living in higher-income neighborhoods to be identified as having ASD.
“The significant shift in prevalence by demographics among children diagnosed with autism reflects how well our state has been able to reduce the financial barriers related to accessing an autism diagnostic assessment and autism therapies,” says Deborah Bilder, MD, professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and co-principal investigator of the UT-ADDM project. “Young children covered by Utah Medicaid now have quicker access to autism diagnostic services because of the expanded range of accepted diagnostic tools.”
The study also found that 70.8% of four-year-old children with ASD had a documented autism test in their records. The most common test was the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Nationwide, the CDC reports that among eight-year-old children, boys were more than three times as likely as girls to be identified as having ASD. Generally, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial children were more likely to have ASD than White children; Utah was the only participating site where this wasn’t the case.
Resources
For more information about autism resources in Utah, visit and the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (URADD) at . For more information about the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, visit
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About ADDM Network
Utah participates in the ADDM Network through the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which is a partnership between the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. Salt Lake County, Davis, and Tooele counties were included in the Utah portion of the study. In addition to the institute and the Utah DHHS, the Utah State Board of Education and Intermountain Health were collaborators in this public health activity.
Outside of Utah, other participating communities were in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas (Austin), Texas (Laredo), and Wisconsin. Although the study spanned the country, the researchers stress that their findings are a snapshot of ASD in these communities and not a national estimate of autism prevalence in the United States.[AB1]
About Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah is a first-of-its-kind model created to address one of our nation’s greatest challenges: mental health and substance use disorders. The institute combines the strength of one of America's leading research universities with the nation’s best integrated mental health crisis care model and a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations. We educate hundreds of learners every year and provide both unique and wide-ranging educational opportunities in psychiatry and mental health. Our innovative approach to research uses “teams of teams” to bring together different disciplines to uncover new ways to tackle complex problems. A gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family helps power our mission to advance mental health knowledge, hope and healing for all.
Learn more at hmhi.utah.edu and join the conversation on , , , , and .