The expert explained the hundredfold difference in the prevalence of autism in the Russian Federation

Studies show more than a hundredfold difference in the prevalence of autism in Russia depending on the region, but this only indicates a different quality of its diagnosis. This was announced to Izvestia on June 24 by Elena Bagaradnikova, a member of the board of the NGO Kontakt, a member of the board of the Value for Everyone alliance.

There are no races for races: why there are few people with autism in Russia

Abroad, there is talk of overdiagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, while in the Russian Federation there is talk of its underdiagnosis.

In particular, the 2022 Russian study "The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the Russian Federation" showed significant 104.5—fold differences in the level of diagnosis of ASD depending on the subject of the country.

"A hundredfold difference in the prevalence of RACES by region cannot be biologically explained. This is a reflection of the difference in the availability and quality of diagnostics depending on the subject of the Russian Federation," the editorial interlocutor emphasized.

At the same time, the total number of reported cases of autism in the country is low, she said. According to the Russian population-based study of the prevalence of ASD among younger schoolchildren, which was published in 2026, there should statistically be about 22.2 cases of autism per 1,000 children in the country, but only 4.1 cases have been officially registered. As a result, thousands of children and families remain disconnected from the possibility of timely assistance and a habilitation route.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

RACE is not forever: why children with autism are denied disability