Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition
thetransmitter.org
A new CDC study estimates that 17% of 8-year-old autistic children in the U.S. meet criteria for profound autism, a decrease from the previous 27% estimate due to an updated definition that includes adaptive functioning scores. The change in definition, along with an increasing overall number of autistic children, contributed to the lower prevalence rate. Experts note that despite the decline, the number of children requiring intensive support remains significant.
All articles from 22 October 2026. Summaries are AI-generated and may contain errors; the linked article is the authority.