How Autism Diagnosis Varies Around the World

World Autism Awareness Day

by 

Anna Fleck,

(reposted with permission)

Rates of diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) vary significantly around the world. According to data published by the World Population Review, countries with the highest number of diagnoses of childhood autism per 100,000 children include Singapore (1,460), Japan (1,450) and Australia (1,160), while those ranked among the lowest rates include China (638) and Brazil (606). These differences in diagnosis may be influenced by a number of factors, such as access to health services, diagnostic methodologies and levels of public awareness.

A higher prevalence of diagnoses in certain countries does not necessarily mean that more cases of autism exist there, but may rather mean that they have more effective health systems to detect it. In places such as Singapore and Japan, where access to health care and awareness of ASD is high, diagnoses tend to be more frequent. On the other hand, countries with fewer medical resources or lower levels of awareness of autism may report lower numbers due to under-diagnosis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ASD is “a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.”

April 2 marks World Autism Awareness Day.