The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at how common autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is. They focused on children who were 8 years old. The information came from 11 different locations across the United States.
This was a surveillance report. Its main job was to track and estimate how many children in these areas have ASD. The report provides a snapshot of prevalence, which means how common the condition is in that specific group of children.
It is important to know this report does not explain why autism rates might be what they are. It does not study causes, risk factors, or treatments. The findings are based on data from specific sites and may not represent the entire country. Readers should see this as one piece of information health officials use to understand autism in communities.