Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that begin in childhood and affect how the brain grows and works. They can affect learning, behavior, movement, or communication. The causes are often a mix of factors, such as genetics, health and behaviors during pregnancy, birth complications, infections, or exposure to harmful substances. Having a developmental disability does not mean a person cannot be healthy. Regular health care is important, especially since some health conditions are more common in children with developmental disabilities.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulses, or sitting still. Symptoms can show up in different ways, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms often continue into adulthood.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is another common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate, interact, learn, and behave. The abilities of people with ASD vary widely—some people need a lot of support, while others live and work independently. ASD is linked to differences in the brain, with multiple causes that are still being studied.

  • From 2016 to 2021, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) children ages 3 to 17 were 5% less likely than all U.S. children in that age group to have been diagnosed with any developmental, learning, and language disorder.

  • In 2022, Asian/Pacific Islander 8-year-olds within the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) were 19% more likely to have autism spectrum disorder than all 8-year-olds within the Network.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Related Data

Further Reading

Occurrence

Developmental Disabilities

Children ages 3–17 years ever diagnosed with any developmental, learning, and language disorder, percentage, 2016–2021
NHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
14.014.80.95
Source: Leeb, R. T., Danielson, M. L., Claussen, A. H., Robinson, L. R., Lebrun-Harris, L. A., Ghandour, R., Bitsko, R. H., Katz, S. M., Kaminski, J. W., & Brown, J. (2024). Trends in mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders among children and adolescents in the US, 2016-2021 (Tables 1 and 2). Preventing Chronic Disease, 21, 240142.

Autism

Children aged 8 years with autism spectrum disorder, prevalence per 1,000 children in Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (16 sites), 2022
Asian/Pacific Islander*Total PopulationRatio (Asian/Pacific Islander* / Total)
38.232.21.19
Source: Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., Valencia-Prado, M., Durkin, M. S., Howerton, E. M., Ladd-Acosta, C. M., Pas, E. T., Bakian, A. V., Bartholomew, P., Nieves-Muñoz, N., Sidwell, K., Alford, A., Bilder, D. A., DiRienzo, M., Fitzgerald, R. T., Furnier, S. M., Hudson, A. E., Pokoski, O. M., Shea, L., … Maenner, M. J. (2025). 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 (Tables 1 and 2). MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Surveillance Summaries, 74(2), 1–22.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.


Date Last Reviewed: March 2026