| The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among Black and Hispanic children in the United States has increased by more than 40% since 2014, according to an analysis published Thursday by JAMA Network Open. The percentage of Black children diagnosed with the developmental disorder increased to 3.2% in 2019 from 2.2% six years earlier, the data showed. Over the same period, the prevalence of the disorder in Hispanic children rose to 2.1% from 1.5%. These increases are likely due, at least in part, to improved access to diagnostic and treatment services for the disorder, which affects communication and behavior, in these populations, researchers said. “This rising trend from our study may be explained by the improved access to healthcare for earlier diagnosis, which is the good news, or by genetic inequities, which is the bad news,” study co-author Kevin Lu told UPI. |
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