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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Important New Data

A data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics offers some important new information:

The median age when school-aged children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were first identified as having ASD was 5 years.[Note: other studies have reached different conclusions.]

Percent distribution of child's age when parent or guardian was first told that child had
autism spectrum disorder among children aged 6–17 years with special health care needs and
autism spectrum disorder: United States, 2011

Figure 1 is a pie chart showing the distribution of child's age when the parent or guardian was first told that the child had autism spectrum disorder. 


School-aged CSHCN identified as having ASD at a younger age (under age 5 years) were identified most often by generalists and psychologists, while those identified later (aged 5 years and over) were identified primarily by psychologists and psychiatrists.

Percent distribution of type of doctor or health care provider who first told parent or guardian that child had autism spectrum disorder, by child's age when parent or guardian was first told, among children aged 6–17 years with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder: United States, 2011

Figure 2 is a stacked bar chart showing the distribution of type of doctor or health care provider who first told the parent or guardian that the child had autism spectrum disorder, by child's age when parent or guardian was first told. 
Nine out of 10 school-aged CSHCN with ASD use one or more services to meet their developmental needs. Social skills training and speech or language therapy are the most common, each used by almost three-fifths of these children.

Percentage of children aged 6–17 years with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder who currently use selected health care services, by age: United States, 2011

Figure 3 is a bar graph showing the percentage of school-aged children with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder who currently use selected health care services, by age.
More than one-half of school-aged CSHCN with ASD use psychotropic medication.

Percentage of children aged 6–17 years with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder who currently use selected medication types: United States, 2011

Figure 4 is a bar graph showing the percentage of school-aged children with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder who currently use selected medication types.