Autism more common in children than previously thought, study finds

New figures show factors such as gender, race and social advantage play a factor, Sam Hancock writes

Black and Chinese pupils are 26 per cent and 38 per cent more likely to be autistic (AFP via Getty Images)

Around 1 in 57 children in England is on the autistic spectrum, and socially disadvantaged kids are more likely to have the disorder, new research suggests.

The study of more than 7 million children – conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge and researchers from Newcastle University and Maastricht University – found that black and Chinese pupils are 26 per cent and 38 per cent more likely to be autistic respectively.

It also concluded that pupils with a record of autism in schools are 60 per cent more likely to be socially disadvantaged, and 36 per cent less likely to speak English, researchers said.

Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry previously released estimates of the prevalence of autism, which had the figure at 1 in 64, but researchers believe this has increased due to better recognition of the condition by both parents and schools in recent years.

The updated figures were calculated by scientists using the national pupil database covering those aged between 2 and 21 in state-funded schools in England.

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Of the more than 7,047,301 pupils studied, 119,821 had a diagnosis of autism in their educational record, while almost a fifth (18.1 per cent) also had learning difficulties, the research published in the journal JAMA Paediatrics said.

Boys showed a prevalence of autism of 2.8 per cent and girls showed a prevalence of 0.65 per cent.

Autism prevalence was highest in pupils of black ethnicity (2.1 per cent) and lowest in Roma/Irish Travellers (0.85 per cent), with scientists saying these estimates are the first to be published for these populations.

Lead researcher Dr Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, from the Autism Research Centre (ARC) and Cambridge Public Health at the University of Cambridge, said: “We can now see that autism is much more common than previously thought.”

He added “further research” was required to understand the “significant variations in autism diagnosis in different ethnic minorities”.

Prof Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the ARC, said: “We can now see a snapshot of how many autistic children there are, and can drill down into local and ethnic variation, and reveal links with vulnerability.

“It is important that we safeguard the rights of children to access diagnostic services and education, tailored to their needs.”

Meanwhile, Prof Fiona Matthews, from Newcastle University, said the study “highlights the need for more attention to the unrecognised and differing needs of autistic children from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds”.

It comes on the first day of World Autism Awareness Week, which began on Monday, with World Autism Day to be marked on Friday 2 April.

Additional reporting by PA