title: Changes in prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in 2001-2011: findings from the Stockholm youth cohort.
abstract: In a record-linkage study in Stockholm, Sweden, the year 2011 prevalence of diagnosed autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was found to be 0.40, 1.74, 2.46, and 1.76% among 0-5, 6-12, 13-17, and 18-27 year olds, respectively. The corresponding proportion of cases with a recorded diagnosis of intellectual disability was 17.4, 22.1, 26.1 and 29.4%. Between 2001 and 2011, ASD prevalence increased almost 3.5 fold among children aged 2-17 years. The increase was mainly accounted for by an eightfold increase of ASD without intellectual disability (from 0.14 to 1.10 %), while the prevalence of ASD with intellectual disability increased only slightly (from 0.28 to 0.34%). The increase in ASD prevalence is likely contributed to by extrinsic factors such as increased awareness and diagnostics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Widerströmska Huset, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden, Selma.idring@ki.se.
authors.forename: Selma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Idring
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalman
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gumpert
authors.forename: Dheeraj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magnusson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult