Autism spectrum disorder: Presentation and prevalence in a nationally representative Australian sample

Abstract

The prevalence of a parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder before age 7 in Australia was higher in the B cohort. Data from future Longitudinal Study of Australian Children waves will clarify whether autism spectrum disorder has been diagnosed earlier in the B cohort or if there is a continued increase in prevalence. Future waves will also provide crucial information about the types and severity of problems experienced during the primary and secondary school years which will assist service planning.

Diagnosing autism: Contemporaneous surveys of parent needs and paediatric practice

“…Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by qualitative impairments in interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour present from childhood . The prevalence in Australian school‐aged children is between 1.5 and 2.5%, similar to international data . In Australia, ASDs are usually diagnosed by general paediatricians working alone or within multidisciplinary teams, in private rooms, community health centres or hospital outpatient settings .…”

“…2 From the Australian paediatrician's perspective, the process of diagnosis can be time-consuming and challenging to convey, families are often distressed and consultation times are limited. 3 The agreement or otherwise between parents' information needs and clinicians' practice when diagnosing autism is unknown.…”

Trends in the prevalence and distribution of teacher‐identified special health‐care needs across three successive population cohorts

“…Aligning with these types of impairment, the most common diagnosis reported by teachers was ASD. In Australia, more than 1 in 100 children are now diagnosed with ASD before the age of 7 . It is not yet clear whether the condition is becoming more prevalent or if the increase can be explained by changes in recognition, broader diagnostic criteria, earlier diagnosis and increased incentives for early identification and intervention .…”

The experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder, their caregivers and health care providers during day procedure: A mixed methods study

“…The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Edition 5 (DSM5) defines ASD as a persistent deficit in social interaction and social communication across multiple contexts, and restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviors, interests or activities . The prevalence of ASD has been reported as 1.5%‐2.5% in Australia and 1.7% in 11 sites surveyed by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network in the United States . Boys are four times more likely to be identified with ASD than girls .…”