title: Prevalence of parent-reported ASD and ADHD in the UK: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.
abstract: The UK prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were estimated from the Millennium Cohort Study. Case definition was if a doctor or health care professional had ever told parents that their child had ASD and/or ADHD. Data were collected in 2008/2009 for 14,043 children. 1.7 % of children were reported as having ASD (95 % CI 1.4-2.0) at mean age 7.2 years (SD = 0.2; range = 6.3-8.2). 1.4 % reportedly had ADHD (95 % CI 1.2-1.7), and 0.3 % had both ASD and ADHD (95 % CI 0.2-0.5). After adjusting for socio-economic disadvantage, only male sex (p < 0.001 for both conditions) and cognitive ability, p = 0.004 (ASD); p = 0.01 (ADHD) remained strongly associated. The observed prevalence of parent-reported ASD is high compared to earlier UK and US estimates. Parent-reported ADHD is low compared to US estimates using the same measure.
authors.affiliation: NIHR CLAHRC for the South West Peninsula PenCLAHRC, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK, g.russell@ex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ginny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Lauren R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: Obioha C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Ukoumunne
authors.forename: Tamsin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology