A new study published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry says that nearly 62 million people in 2021 had autism spectrum disorder.

“We estimated one in 127 individuals worldwide in 2021 was autistic, placing the autism spectrum within the top ten causes for non-fatal health burden for children and adolescents younger than 20 years,” the research team led by Damian Santomauro, an affiliate assistant professor with the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, concluded.

These numbers show how important it is to diagnose autism early in a child’s life, so they can receive therapy that will help them throughout their lifespan.

“Addressing not only the needs of autistic children and adolescents, but also those of adults, who often remain under-represented in research and service provision, is imperative,” researchers wrote.

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