Autism: Surveillance

On this page

• How Canada monitors autism
• Publications and statistics

How Canada monitors autism

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) monitors autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) using various data sources. This helps us build an overall picture of the health and well-being of Autistic people across the country.

Efforts to enhance PHAC’s autism surveillance activities are focused on the following areas:

• collecting data on Autistic people of all ages
• reporting on indicators beyond prevalence, such as:
  • demographics
  • diversity and equity
  • co-occurring conditions
  • diagnostic pathways and health care services
  • wider health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
• expanding surveillance to include all provinces and territories

We achieve this by working closely with:

• researchers
• stakeholders
• federal partners
• Indigenous partners
• provincial and territorial partners

Publications and statistics

These publications have the latest information and statistics on autism spectrum disorder in Canada:

• Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in autistic children and youth: Highlights from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (fact sheet)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder - Highlights from the 2019 Canadian Survey on Children and Youth (report)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder - Highlights from the Canadian Survey on Disability (infographic)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children and Youth in Canada 2018 - A Report of the National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (report)
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canada (data blog)
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children and Youth in Canada 2018 (infographic)
  • Understanding the 2018 National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System report