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Review
. 2020 May 1;10(5):274.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci10050274.

Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

Flavia Chiarotti  1 , Aldina Venerosi  1
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Worldwide Prevalence Estimates Since 2014

Flavia Chiarotti et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically in recent decades, supporting the claim of an autism epidemic. Systematic monitoring of ASD allows estimating prevalence and identifying potential sources of variation over time and geographical areas. At present, ASD prevalence estimates are available worldwide, coming either from surveillance systems using existing health and educational databases or from population studies specifically performed. In the present article, we present a review of the ASD prevalence estimates published since 2014. Data confirm a high variability in prevalence across the world, likely due to methodological differences in case detection, and the consistent increase of prevalence estimates within each geographical area.

Keywords: autism; predictors; prevalence estimate; surveillance review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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