| APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH! |
In America today, Autism has become more common making it so prevalent that most people know someone who has Autism or has a friend with a loved one with Autism. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we provide the following facts provided by the CDC. We are hopeful that increasing knowledge will continue to break down barriers and encourage acceptance.
- About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
- ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189).
- Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals with ASD with an averageprevalence of about 1%. A study in South Korea reported a prevalence of 2.6%.
- Almost half (46%) of children identified with ASD has average to above average intellectual ability.
- Studies have shown that parents of children with ASD notice a developmental problem before their child’s first birthday. Concerns about vision and hearing were more often reported in the first year, and differences in social, communication, and fine motor skills were evident from 6 months of age.
- It is estimated to cost at least $17,000 more per year to care for a child with ASD compared to a child without ASD. Costs include health care, education, ASD-related therapy, family-coordinated services, and caregiver time. For a child with more severe ASD, costs per year increase to over $21,000. Taken together, it is estimated that total societal costs of caring for children with ASD were over $9 billion in 2011.
- Children and adolescents with ASD had average medical expenditures that exceeded those without ASD by $4,110–$6,200 per year. On average, medical expenditures for children and adolescents with ASD were 4.1–6.2 times greater than for those without ASD. Differences in median expenditures ranged from $2,240 to $3,360 per year with median expenditures 8.4–9.5 times greater.
- In addition to medical costs, intensive behavioral interventions for children with ASD cost $40,000 to $60,000 per child per year.
In America today, Autism has become more common making it so prevalent that most people know someone who has Autism or has a friend with a loved one with Autism. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we provide the following facts provided by the CDC. We are hopeful that increasing knowledge will continue to break down barriers and encourage acceptance.
- About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
- ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189).
- Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals with ASD with an average prevalence of about 1%. A study in South Korea reported a prevalence of 2.6%.
- Almost half (46%) of children identified with ASD has average to above average intellectual ability.
- Studies have shown that parents of children with ASD notice a developmental problem before their child’s first birthday. Concerns about vision and hearing were more often reported in the first year, and differences in social, communication, and fine motor skills were evident from 6 months of age.
- It is estimated to cost at least $17,000 more per year to care for a child with ASD compared to a child without ASD. Costs include health care, education, ASD-related therapy, family-coordinated services, and caregiver time. For a child with more severe ASD, costs per year increase to over $21,000. Taken together, it is estimated that total societal costs of caring for children with ASD were over $9 billion in 2011.
- Children and adolescents with ASD had average medical expenditures that exceeded those without ASD by $4,110–$6,200 per year. On average, medical expenditures for children and adolescents with ASD were 4.1–6.2 times greater than for those without ASD. Differences in median expenditures ranged from $2,240 to $3,360 per year with median expenditures 8.4–9.5 times greater.
- In addition to medical costs, intensive behavioral interventions for children with ASD cost $40,000 to $60,000 per child per year.
For more information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
