E CMAJ M Review C Autism spectrum disorder: advances in evidence-based practice Evdokia Anagnostou MD, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum MD, Peter Szatmari MD, Eric Fombonne MD, Bridget A. Fernandez MD, Marc Woodbury-Smith MD PhD, Jessica Brian PhD, Susan Bryson PhD, Isabel M. Smith PhD, Irene Drmic PhD, Janet A. Buchanan PhD, Wendy Roberts MD, Stephen W. Scherer PhD utism spectrum disorder (ASD) en - years since 2000. The most recent analysis, Competing interests: See compasses wide variation in symptom which pertains to the 2008 surveillance year, 1 end of article. A severity and functional impact. The estimates the overall prevalence to be 1 in 88 This article has been peer core features of ASD include impairments in children — almost double the prevalence re - reviewed. social communication, repetitive behaviours ported in the original cohort. These data cannot Correspondence to: and restricted interests. Not all people with distinguish between an increase caused by Stephen Scherer,
[email protected] ASD identify their challenges as a disorder. changes in ascertainment and a true increase in Evdokia Anagnostou, Autism spectrum disorder affects more than 1% prevalence. Global prevalence, as reported in a eanagnostou@hollandbloor of the population, 1 and a dramatic increase in its comprehensive survey of epidemiological reports view.ca 2 recognition is creating huge demands on health from 1966 to 2011, suggests that autism is still CMAJ 2014. DOI:10.1503 care systems for timely and accurate diagnosis. under-recognized, particularly in developing /cmaj.121756 Health care professionals in many capacities countries. In Canada, a population prevalence of encounter people and their families coping with 1% implies that about 67 000 children, aged 3– ASD, and optimal care depends on a large net - 20 years have ASD.