How do ASD rates compare with rates of other disabilities and diseases diagnosed in children?
Down syndrome, the most commonly identified cause of mental retardation, occurs in about 1 in 800 births.[5] Juvenile diabetes, a common childhood disorder, occurs in about 1 in 400 to 500 children and adolescents,[6] which is similar to the lower range of the ASD rates of 1 in 500. However, ASDs are more common than childhood cancer, which has a prevalence rate of 1.5 per 10,000 children, according to the National Cancer Institute.
