Autism Prevalence in Utah Remains Steady, Lower than Nation: Report
Media Contact:
Patricia Brandt
PR/Communications Manager
Huntsman Mental Ƶ Institute
Ƶ of Utah Ƶ
Email: Patricia.Brandt@hsc.utah.edu
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Autism prevalence among eight-year-old Utah Ƶren 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 Ƶ of Utah Ƶ 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 Ƶ 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 Ƶren were 1.8 times more likely than white Ƶren to be identified as having ASD. In contrast, the prevalence of ASD in multiracial Ƶren was half of what it was in White Ƶren. 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 Ƶren, 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 Ƶren 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 Ƶren.
"Utah's autism prevalence among both four- and eight-year-old Ƶren 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 Ƶren 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 Ƶren 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 Ƶren were diagnosed by a community provider by 54 months of age.
Notably, Ƶren living in lower-income neighborhoods in Utah were more likely than Ƶren living in higher-income neighborhoods to be identified as having ASD.
“The significant shift in prevalence by demographics among Ƶren 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 Ƶ Institute and co-principal investigator of the UT-ADDM project. “Young Ƶren 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 Ƶren 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 Ƶren, 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 Ƶren were more likely to have ASD than White Ƶren; 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 Ƶ and Human Ƶ (DHHS) and the Huntsman Mental Ƶ 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 Ƶ 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 Ƶ Institute
Huntsman Mental Ƶ Institute at the Ƶ 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 .