A new study suggests that the true number of autistic people in England may be more than double the official figure cited in national health policy documents. Using anonymized data from GP practices in England and comparing diagnosed cases to estimated prevalence rates, the researchers estimate that there could be approximately 750,000 undiagnosed autistic people aged 20 and above in England, making the total autistic population over 1.
Meanwhile, the upper estimate was based on rates of diagnosed autism in young people in the researchers’ dataset. This is because young people are most likely to have had their autism recognized since providers are now very aware of autism in young people. The team’s estimates suggest that between 150,000 and 500,000 people aged 20 to 49 years old may be autistic but undiagnosed.
Lead researcher, post-doctoral researcher Elizabeth O’Nions , said: “Historically, autism has been considered as a condition of childhood. But recently, awareness has been growing that it is present across the lifespan – in adults as well as young people. “Having a diagnosis means that someone can advocate for their right to reasonable adjustments and the support they need. Recognizing that someone with an intellectual disability is autistic can also help people to understand and support them better.”
Dr. O’Nions added: “Our findings indicate that there is still a substantial diagnostic gap in adults compared to children and young people when it comes to autism in England.
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