Facts & Statistics

The Explosion of Autism

Prevalance

• Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
• Autism is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189).
• About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. (CDC, 2014)
• Parents who have a child with ASD have a 2%–18% chance of having a second child who is also affected (CDC 2015).

Financial Impact

• Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually; about 75% of these costs are in adult services. (Buescher et al., 2014)
• Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.
• It is estimated to cost at least $17,000 $21,000 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 (CDC 2015).