The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 500-509. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.059345
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Prevalence of autism-spectrum conditions: UK school-based population study

Simon Baron-Cohen, BA (Hons), PhD, FBPsS, MPhil (Clinical Psychology)*, Fiona J. Scott, BSc (Hons), PhD, C. Psychol* and Carrie Allison, BA (Hons)*

Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University

Joanna Williams, BA (Hons), MPhil, PhD

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge University

Patrick Bolton, MA, BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCPsych

Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University

Fiona E. Matthews, MRC

Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge University

Carol Brayne, MSc, MD, FRCP, FFPHM

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge University, UK

Correspondence: Simon Baron–Cohen, University of Cambridge, Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK. Email: sb205{at}cam.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

F.J.S acted as an expert witness for the diagnosis of autism-spectrum conditions and for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine litigation, but not for children in the population covered by this study.

Funding

This study was funded by the Shirley Foundation. S.B-C., F.J.M. and J.W. were funded by the Medical Research Council during the period of this work. P.B. was supported by the UK NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

* These authors contributed equally to the work.

Background

Recent reports estimate the prevalence of autism-spectrum conditions in the UK to be 1%.

Aims

To use different methods to estimate the prevalence of autism-spectrum conditions, including previously undiagnosed cases, in Cambridgeshire.

Method

We carried out a survey of autism-spectrum conditions using the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register. A diagnosis survey was distributed to participating schools to be handed out to parents of all children aged 5–9 years. The mainstream primary school population was screened for unknown cases.

Results

The prevalence estimates generated from the SEN register and diagnosis survey were 94 per 10 000 and 99 per 10 000 respectively. A total of 11 children received a research diagnosis of an autism-spectrum condition following screening and assessment. The ratio of known:unknown cases is about 3:2 (following statistical weighting procedures). Taken together, we estimate the prevalence to be 157 per 10 000, including previously undiagnosed cases.

Conclusions

This study has implications for planning diagnostic, social and health services.


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