Students who are Black, Hispanic, female, from low-income families or multilingual learners are less likely to be identified with autism in U.S. elementary schools than their white, male, higher-income or English-speaking peers. This finding comes from our new research, published in April 2026 in the academic journal Autism.
These disparities appear even among students who have similar levels of academic achievement and who are attending the same schools.
Our research shows there are big and recurring gaps in whether students are identified with having autism while they attend U.S. elementary schools. In both 2003 and 2019, for example, fourth grade female students were about 80% less likely to be identified with autism, as compared to similarly situated boys.
We found that for every 10 boys identified with autism, only about two girls in a comparable situation – including those displaying similar levels of reading achievement and attending the same schools – were identified.
We analyzed data repeatedly collected from 2003 to 2022, using large, nationally representative samples of about 160,000 fourth-grade students participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
We specifically looked at data that included student academic achievement. This approach let us consider potential bias in how a student’s disability is identified.
Why it matters
Understanding these disparities in U.S. elementary schools is important to help ensure that all students with disabilities have equal access to appropriate services and supports.
Schools are one of the most common places that provide disability services to children and adolescents. This includes students who have autism.
Some research finds that teachers are more understanding of a student’s classroom struggles when informed that the student has autism.
School-based special education services, such as speech therapy, often benefit students with disabilities, including those of color. Students will not receive these services without an identified disabilty.
For example, recent analyses of public data from Massachusetts, Indiana and Connecticut compared the achievement trajectories of the same students before and after they received special education services. The students did better in both reading and mathematics when they received special education services.
Students with disabilities are also more likely to graduate from high school and attend college if they receive special education services.
What still isn’t known
We do not know whether these disparities in autism identification are occurring in other elementary grades, at least based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress data.
In another of our recent analyses, though, we did observed racial disparities in autism identification across elementary grades.
Some other research suggests that students of color and girls experience significant delays in receiving autism diagnoses.
Our analysis is based on students who completed the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. Students with severe autism and higher support needs who were unable to complete these assessments, even with accommodations, were not included in our analysis.
Future studies could examine whether sociodemographic disparities in autism identification are occurring in U.S. middle and high schools as well for students with significant impairments.
What’s next
Our additional preliminary analysis indicates there are other types of disparities at play. For example, we are finding that Black and Hispanic girls, low-income Black students and multilingual learners who are white or Hispanic are especially unlikely to be identified as having autism.
We are also exploring whether some of these disparities have grown, or otherwise changed, following recent increases in autism prevalence rates, including for students of color and girls.
