If you've searched for autism prevalence data for Virginia and found a figure attributed to the state without a clear source — you're not imagining the gap. Virginia does not have federally standardized autism surveillance data comparable to states like Georgia, Tennessee, or Maryland.
This article explains what data does and doesn't exist for Virginia, what the national picture suggests, and what families in Virginia need to know about accessing ABA therapy and early intervention services.
Virginia is not a CDC ADDM surveillance site
The CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is the most methodologically rigorous autism surveillance programme in the United States. In 2022, the ADDM Network expanded to 16 sites across the US, located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas (two sites), Utah, and Wisconsin. Virginia is not among them.
This means no state-specific autism prevalence figure for Virginia has been generated using the same clinical record-review methodology behind the national 1-in-31 estimate. Data that claims to be Virginia-specific without citing a Virginia primary source should be read carefully.
One commonly circulated figure attributes an adult autism prevalence rate of approximately 2.3% to Virginia specifically. The national CDC estimate for adult autism prevalence is approximately 2.21%. The Virginia-specific figure most likely reflects this national estimate mislabelled as state-specific — a common content error. This article does not repeat that claim.
What the national ADDM data tells Virginia families
While Virginia-specific surveillance data doesn't exist, the national ADDM figures from the CDC's April 2025 MMWR report are the most reliable benchmark available.
About 1 in 31 (3.2%) children aged 8 years has been identified with ASD according to estimates from CDC's ADDM Network. ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. ASD is over 3 times more common among boys than among girls.
The overall male-to-female prevalence ratio was 3.4, with overall ASD prevalence of 49.2 per 1,000 among boys and 14.3 per 1,000 among girls.
Overall, ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children (27.7 per 1,000) than among Asian or Pacific Islander (38.2), American Indian or Alaska Native (37.5), non-Hispanic Black (36.6), Hispanic (33.0), and multiracial children (31.9). This pattern — higher identification rates among historically underserved racial and ethnic groups — was first observed in 2020 and continued in 2022, reflecting improved access to evaluation in communities that were previously under-identified.
Age at diagnosis
The median age of earliest known ASD diagnosis across the 16 ADDM sites was 47 months — just under 4 years. Only half of children with ASD had been evaluated by age 36 months. Research indicates that autism can in certain cases be reliably identified as early as age 1.
The gap between when early diagnosis is possible and when it actually happens is the most practically significant data point for Virginia families — because earlier diagnosis means earlier access to ABA therapy, which has the strongest evidence for outcomes in early childhood.
Progress in early identification nationally
Cumulative incidence of ASD diagnosis or eligibility by age 48 months was higher among children born in 2018 than among children born in 2014 — overall, 1.7 times as high. At some sites, this figure was up to 3.1 times as high in the younger cohort. Nationally, the infrastructure for earlier identification is improving. Virginia families who act on early developmental concerns rather than waiting for school-age screening are increasingly likely to access services during the most effective intervention window.
Virginia's ABA-specific policy context
State BCBA licensure
Virginia is the most regulated credentialing environment of Blossom's five service states. BCBAs practicing in Virginia must hold both BACB national certification and a Virginia state license issued by the Board of Medicine. This is a requirement beyond the national BACB credential alone. For Virginia families, this means every BCBA working in the state has cleared both federal and state credentialing requirements.
Insurance coverage
Virginia's autism insurance mandate requires private insurers licensed in the state to cover ABA therapy. Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) and FAMIS cover ABA therapy for eligible children with an autism diagnosis.
The Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC+) Medicaid waiver can cover additional services for children and adults with significant support needs. For families with employer self-funded insurance plans, coverage is governed by federal ERISA law rather than Virginia's state mandate — verify directly with your insurer.
Early intervention
Virginia's Infant and Toddler Connection provides early intervention services for children from birth through age two, including telehealth delivery statewide. Parents can self-refer without a physician referral. At age three, services transition to the school system through an IEP.
ABA therapy in Virginia with Blossom
Blossom ABA provides in-home and daycare-based ABA therapy across Virginia — Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) and FAMIS accepted, no waitlist.
Services available across Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria, Ashburn, Herndon, Reston, Manassas, Sterling, Leesburg, Fredericksburg, McLean, Vienna, Falls Church, Woodbridge) and Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk).
Contact our team to get started.
Virginia autism resources
Autism data across the states Blossom serves
Virginia is in the same position as North Carolina — no CDC ADDM surveillance site, which means state-level prevalence data is limited. That puts both states in a different category from Georgia and Tennessee, where federally standardized figures are available. Here's the full picture across Blossom's service area.
Autism Statistics in Georgia → — Georgia has CDC ADDM data going back to 2000. Metro Atlanta's 2022 prevalence was 32.6 per 1,000 children aged 8 — one of the most reliably tracked figures in the Southeast.
Autism Statistics in Tennessee → — Tennessee is an ADDM site covering Middle Tennessee. Its 2022 rate of 34.0 per 1,000 sits slightly above the national average.
Autism Statistics in North Carolina → — NC is also not an ADDM site. Here's what data does exist, and what NC's December 2023 Medicaid expansion changed for families seeking ABA coverage.
Blossom provides in-home and daycare-based ABA therapy across Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina — Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) and FAMIS accepted, no waitlist. Contact our team to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the autism prevalence rate in Virginia?
Virginia is not a CDC ADDM Network site, so no state-level federally standardized prevalence estimate exists. The national CDC figure of 1 in 31 children aged 8 (32.2 per 1,000) is the best available benchmark. A 2.3% adult autism figure sometimes attributed to Virginia is most likely the national CDC adult prevalence estimate of 2.21%, not a Virginia-specific number.
Does Virginia Medicaid cover ABA therapy?
Yes. Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) and FAMIS cover ABA therapy for eligible children with an autism diagnosis. Virginia's autism insurance mandate also requires most private insurers to cover ABA. BCBAs in Virginia must hold both BACB national certification and a Virginia state license.
What early intervention services are available in Virginia?
Virginia's Infant and Toddler Connection provides early intervention services at no cost for children from birth through age two, including telehealth delivery statewide. Parents can self-refer. Services transition to school-based programming through the IEP process at age three.
Why doesn't Virginia have its own autism prevalence figure?
Virginia is not one of the 16 sites in the CDC's ADDM Network — the surveillance programme that generates the national 1-in-31 figure. Without ADDM participation, there is no independently verified state-specific clinical prevalence estimate. DBHDS and VCU's Autism Center for Excellence are the appropriate sources for any Virginia-specific data.
Sources
Shaw KA, Williams S, Patrick ME, et al. Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveill Summ 2025;74(No. SS-2):1–22. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm
CDC. Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html
Virginia Autism Council / VCU Autism Center for Excellence. https://autismtrainingva.vcu.edu/
