Parent-reported cases of disability in children rise

Autism was not one of the 14 conditions of disability included in the NHIS dataset analyzed because it was established long before autism was widely recognized, Houtrow explains. "But we know from other research that the number of kids with a diagnosis of autism is increasing. We think we are capturing (them) in categories for 'other developmental problems' or 'other mental, emotional and behavior problems,' or 'intellectual disabilities.' "

According to the most recent CDC report, 1 in 68 kids has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, up from an estimated 1 in 88 in 2012 and 1 in 150 in 2007, "so most definitely" autism cases are a factor in the trend reported in this study, says Steven Pastyrnak, chief of pediatric psychology at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. He was not involved in the new research.

The overall increase in childhood disability was found for all age groups and genders and among children of black, white and Hispanic origin.

The reduced prevalence of cases specifically related to physical disability, likely the result of medical, therapeutic and treatment advances, "is really good news" and should not be overlooked, Houtrow says.

But "especially for kids living in less advantaged households, we know they have less access to health care, so there's a strong possibility they could be experiencing (disability) problems, but we're not identifying them well, and therefore we're not getting them the services they need," she says.