Age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2012 to 2019

Between 1990 and 2012, the global mean age at diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder ranged from 38 to 120 months. Measures have since been introduced to reduce the age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, but the current global mean age is unknown. This review and meta-analysis report the average age at diagnosis from studies published between 2012 and 2019. We initially identified 1150 articles, including 56 studies that reported the mean or median age at diagnosis across 40 countries (n = 120,540 individuals with autism spectrum disorder). Meta-analysis results (on 35 studies, including 55 cohorts from 35 countries, n = 66,966 individuals with autism spectrum disorder) found a current mean age at diagnosis…

• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Excellence