SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Autism prevalence among eight-year-old children in Utah remains steady at approximately one in 37 (2.7%), as reported in a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network in collaboration with several University of Utah Health scientists.
This percentage is notably 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 comprehensive study, which includes data collected from 16 communities nationwide, reports on the prevalence of ASD among both four- and eight-year-olds and appears in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summaries.
“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 Amanda Bakian, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and principal investigator of the Utah ADDM study.
Among eight-year-olds in Utah, Black children were identified as 1.8 times more likely than White children to be diagnosed with ASD; meanwhile, autism prevalence in multiracial children was recorded as half of that in White children.
Although Utah’s autism prevalence among eight-year-olds has remained stable since 2020, the state observed a marked increase in prevalence among four-year-old children, rising from 1.3% in 2020 to 1.8% in 2022.
This increase, however, is still lower than the national average of 2.9% for four-year-olds.
The study also indicated an encouraging trend in early diagnostics: the proportion of four-year-old children suspected of having ASD but awaiting a diagnostic evaluation dropped significantly to 10% in 2022 compared to 33% in 2020.
This suggests a notable improvement in 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 remarks.
“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.”
According to the study, among eight-year-old children identified as having ASD in Utah, 34.4% had an intellectual disability, defined as an IQ score equal to or less than 70.
Additionally, half of the eight-year-old children were diagnosed by a community provider by the time they reached 54 months of age.
Notably, children living in lower-income neighborhoods in Utah were more likely to be identified as having ASD than their peers in higher-income neighborhoods.
“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, with the most common assessment being the Childhood Autism Rating Scale.
Nationwide, the CDC reports that among eight-year-old children, boys are 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 are more likely to have ASD than White children; however, Utah was the only participating site where this trend did not hold true.
Utah participates in the ADDM Network through the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, a partnership between the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Salt Lake County, Davis County, and Tooele County 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 initiative.
Outside of Utah, other communities participating in the study included Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas (Austin), Texas (Laredo), and Wisconsin.
Although the study encompassed various locations across the country, the researchers emphasize that their findings represent a snapshot of ASD in these communities and should not be treated as a national estimate of autism prevalence in the United States.
Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah is a pioneering model aimed at addressing one of our nation’s most significant challenges: mental health and substance use disorders.
The Institute merges the strengths of a leading research university with one of the nation’s best integrated mental health crisis care models, providing a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations.
They educate hundreds of learners annually and offer a variety of unique educational opportunities in the field of psychiatry and mental health.
Their innovative approach to research employs “teams of teams” to bring together various disciplines and uncover new strategies for tackling complex problems.
A generous gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family supports their mission to advance mental health knowledge, hope, and healing for all.
image source from：https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2025/04/autism-prevalence-utah-remains-steady-lower-nation-report
