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Laredo health department shares CDC ADDM findings showing later diagnosis and possible undercount
Summary
City health officials read a CDC ADDM (Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring) summary for Laredo showing later median age of diagnosis and a reported lower prevalence than other sites; the transcript records inconsistent prevalence figures that the committee said need further public reporting.
City of Laredo health department staff read a summary of a CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) report to the committee on Jan. 27 that officials said provides new local autism data for 2022 and will be released to the community.
The news release read at the meeting said, verbatim, “1 in 103 of 8 year old children were identified with autism spectrum disorder by the Laredo ADM project in 2022,” and it said Laredo’s median age of diagnosis was 69.5 months. The release described the figure as lower than the average among ADDM sites and recommended increased early identification and provider training.
Later in the discussion, a committee member stated a different prevalence figure, saying “I just saw a brand new statistic, 1 out of 31,” and noted that a previous report had been “1 out of 36.” The transcript does not reconcile the differing numbers or identify whether the “1 in 31” remark referred to a different age group or a revised calculation; meeting speakers said a fuller community-facing report and CDC infographic would be published and shared.
Why it matters: speakers said the Laredo ADDM data highlights delays in diagnosis and possible under-identification in the local community, which can affect access to early intervention and services. The health department coauthors named in the release were Cathy Chavez and Dr. Montes and Angel Montes; officials said the report will help guide provider training, outreach and referral systems.
Next steps: officials said a public community report and CDC-provided infographic are scheduled for release to media imminently and that the health department will circulate the materials to committee members.
Ending: Committee members and staff said they will use the report to advocate for earlier identification and improved services; the transcript records that the report’s underlying 2022 data and the community report are still in the process of being finalized and approved for wider distribution.
