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Change in Autism Diagnoses Prior to and Following the Introduction of DSM-5

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Abstract

Change over time in the age and number of children registered for autism-specific funding was examined, prior to and following introduction of the revised diagnostic criteria (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—fifth edition; DSM-5). De-identified data for 32,199 children aged under 7 years between 2010 and 2015 was utilised. Fluctuations were evident in the frequency and age of diagnoses, with slight increases in age of diagnosis corresponding with increases in frequency of diagnoses. The incidence of autism increased from 2010 to 2013, and then plateaued to 2015. A significant trend-relative reduction in the number of children registered to receive autism-specific funding was evident post 2013, suggesting the more stringent DSM-5 criteria may have curbed the trend of increasing diagnoses over time.

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Notes

  1. This data item included 8.8 % missing data.

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Acknowledgments

The first author was supported by a La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarship while conducting this project. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Australian Government Department of Social Services, who provided the data for analysis.

Author Contributions

CB participated in the design of the study, conducted the analyses and drafted the manuscript. CD and JB participated in the design of the study, advised on the interpretation of data and reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia

    Catherine A. Bent, Josephine Barbaro & Cheryl Dissanayake

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  1. Catherine A. Bent
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  2. Josephine Barbaro
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  3. Cheryl Dissanayake
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Correspondence to Cheryl Dissanayake.

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Catherine Anne Bent declares that she has no conflict of interest. Josephine Barbaro declares that she has no conflict of interest. Cheryl Dissanayake declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Bent, C.A., Barbaro, J. & Dissanayake, C. Change in Autism Diagnoses Prior to and Following the Introduction of DSM-5. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 163–171 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2942-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2942-y

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