Survey Results

Survey Items: Survey instrument item number for children 0-5 years: A28,A32; for children 6-11 years: A29,A33; for children 12-17 years: A29,A33
Variables in public use data file: K2Q35A; K2Q35B; AUTISMTREAT

Denominator: Children age 3-17 years

Numerator: Children who currently have autism/ASD and received behavioral treatment; Children who currently have autism/ASD but did not receive behavioral treatment; Children who do not currently have autism/ASD

Revisions and Changes: This measure did not change from the 2016 NSCH, therefore the results may be compared. Due to changes in the administration and sampling for the NSCH, results from surveys prior to 2016 are not directly comparable and should not be used to conduct trend analyses.

Additional Notes: This measure was based on three questions which asked parents whether they were ever told by a provider that their child had autism/ASD; whether the child currently has autism/ASD; and whether the child received behavioral treatment for Autism, ASD, Asperger’s Disorder or PDD. The second and third questions were asked only if the response to the previous question was "Yes".
All information about children's health conditions from the NSCH is based on parent recollection and is not independently verified. These questions were asked among all children, including children <3 years old. However, the denominator of this measure is children ages 3-17 years.

Treatment of Unknown Values: Missing values due to non-response or a “don’t know” response are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the data query results table. In the majority of cases, the proportion of missing values is less than 2%. Exceptions are noted in the form of a Data Alert at the bottom of a results table. The exclusion of these values does not change the prevalence estimates (%) and only marginally affects the weighted population counts (Pop. Est.). If missing cases are handled in any other way, details can be found in the "Additional notes" section above.

History and Development: The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funds and directs the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), and develops survey content in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau and a Technical Expert Panel. The Technical Expert Panel consists of experts in survey methodology and children’s health, federal and state stakeholders, clinicians and researchers. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the survey, oversees the sampling, and produces a final data set of survey results. Respondents’ cognitive understanding of the survey questions was assessed during the pretest phase of the survey redesign and reassessed after the 2016 survey; subsequent revisions were made. Previously validated questions and scales are used when available. The manuscript “The Design and Implementation of the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health”, provides detailed information about the redesign of the NSCH, administration of the first redesigned survey (2016), and the sampling and administration changes for the 2017 NSCH. Prior to 2016, the NSCH and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs were each conducted three times as interviewer-assisted telephone surveys using random digit dial sampling. In 2016, the two surveys were combined into a single annual self-administered questionnaire. Due to decline in the number of households with landline telephones, the NSCH now utilizes an addressed based sampling method to select participating households, thus all invitations are sent by mail. Participants may choose to complete the survey either online using a secure website or a mailed paper version of the survey. All final data components are verified by the Census Bureau, HRSA/MCHB and CAHMI/DRC staff prior to public release. More information about the survey can be found in the “About the National Survey of Children's Health” section of this website and HRSA’s MCHB website.