A review of the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Asia

Electronic databases and bibliographies were searched for English language articles on the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Asia over time to estimate prevalence. The overall reported prevalence of ASD in recent studies was higher than the previously reported in Asia. The average prevalence of ASD before 1980 was around 1.9/10,000 while it was 14.8/10,000 from 1980 to present. The median prevalence of ASD among 2–6-year-old children who are reported in China from 2000 upwards was 10.3/10,000. ASD is probably more common in Asia than previously thought.