Today in America, 1 in 91 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder- Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls (1 in 58 boys is diagnosed)
- 67 children are diagnosed per day
- A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
- More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined
- Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
- Autism costs the U.S. over $90 billion per year, and this is expected to double in the next decade
- There is no medical cure for autism
- An accurate diagnosis can usually be made before age three
- Approximately 20% of autistic children exhibit normal development, followed by regression
- Approximately 5% of children with autistic siblings develop autistic disorders themselves
- Autism rates have escalated 782% in the last 12 years; a rate faster than any other disability or disease, including cancer.
- Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year.
- The Autism Society of America (ASA) estimates the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Incidence vs. Private Funding
Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
- Leukemia: Affects 1 in 25,000 / Funding: $310 million
- Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 20,000 / Funding: $175 million
- Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 8,000 / Funding: $394 million
- Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $130 million
- Autism: Affects 1 in 150 / Funding: $15 million
