New CDC Report Shows Higher Autism Rates and Highlights Complicated Challenges of Accurate DiagnosisExpert available for interview

Press release |

(Walnut Creek, Calif.) —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released the 2025 Community Report on Autism. It found that 1 in 31 children in the United States is expected to receive an autism diagnosis and that autism rates differ substantially among states.

“Although today’s CDC report provides an essential snapshot of autism rates, this is a complex issue,” said Doreen Samelson, Ed.D., MSCP, chief clinical officer at Catalight, one of the largest non-profit behavioral health networks in the United States, who leads the Catalight Research Institute focused on improving access to care for people with autism. “The autism spectrum is very diverse, making an accurate diagnosis complex. Among the tens of thousands of children my organization has cared for over the past decade plus, many came to us with an incorrect diagnosis of autism, while others had not received an autism diagnosis despite showing clear signs.”

These persistent inconsistencies in autism diagnoses likely contributed to the major differences in autism rates reported by the CDC. For example, California had a rate of 1 in 19 children, compared to the rate of 1 in 101 children in Laredo, Texas.

“My experience tells me that California’s rate of autism isn’t so different than rates in other states,” said Dr. Samelson. “Clearly, there is still significant work to do to accurately diagnose autism throughout the United States.”

Media Availability

Dr. Samelson is an autism researcher, clinical psychologist and contributor to “Psychology Today.” She is available for interviews with media on:

  • The challenges of diagnosing autism accurately
  • Autism prevalence
  • The importance of early diagnosis and intervention for improving long-term outcomes
  • The barriers to access families of autistic children face when they seek diagnosis and treatment of autism

Dr. Samelson is also the parent of an adult with a developmental disability and is passionate about self-determinism, inclusion and helping people with developmental disabilities improve their quality of life.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Samelson, contact Keith Ferguson at [email protected] or (925) 532-9615 or Megan McDevitt at [email protected] or (925) 464-0811.

Contact

Keith Ferguson
Catalight
Director of Communications
[email protected]
(925) 532-9615