Autism Diagnoses Spiked After COVID-19, But Probably Not For The Reason You Think

A JAMA Network Open study of 171,134 patients found newly recorded autism diagnoses fell until 2020 and then rose after the pandemic.

The post-pandemic increase was driven mainly by girls and women, while diagnosis rates in boys and men stayed flat or declined.

Teenage girls showed the largest annual gains, and the pattern persisted even when 2020 was excluded.

Researchers say the trend likely reflects better detection of previously overlooked cases, not a true overall surge in autism prevalence.