Landes Quoted in Disability Scoop Article on Increased Developmental Disability Prevalence

October 23, 2026

Disability Scoop

Scott D. Landes

Policy, Place, Population Health and Aging Program

Sociology Department

Aging Studies Institute

Disability

Maternal and Child Health

United States

Disability Scoop

Scott D. Landes

A CDC study of national survey data found that the share of parents reporting a developmental disability in their child rose from 16.7% in 2019 to 20.5% in 2024, with autism up more than 42% and ADHD up 26%. The lead researcher said the increases could be related to earlier detection and awareness.

Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, who was not involved in the study, says the rise in prevalence should be seen as a positive development.

“Research suggests that better screening, greater awareness and reduced stigma explain at least part of the increase, which means that more children are being identified and connected to services they previously would have missed,” he says. “A higher reported prevalence rate by parents is best understood, at least in part, as progress in finding and serving disabled children who were always there but were not receiving needed services.”

Read more in the Disability Scoop article, “CDC Finds Developmental Disability Prevalence Up ‘Significantly.’”