Policy Responses to Rising Autism Diagnoses in Childhood

The number of children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased two to fourfold in just 15 years across OECD countries. Current evidence suggests that this is largely due to an increase in the detection and diagnosis of ASD, not in the underlying autism prevalence. The increase in ASD diagnoses has the potential to improve social, health and education outcomes for many young people, but has led to more demand for support, including for disability payments and specialised healthcare services. This report looks at benefits and services available in 11 OECD countries for children diagnosed with ASD. It finds large differences across countries in the level of support offered to different groups but also a general strong shift towards basing entitlement for support on the needs of individuals rather than just their diagnosis.