By the Numbers: A Look at Autism

1 in 68

The share of children nationwide diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the most recent estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is an increase of about 30 percent since 2012.

$461 Billion

The projected total cost of caring for all people with autism spectrum disorder (including both direct costs and productivity losses) in the United States by the year 2025, if effective interventions, treatments and services do not become widely available, according to a study in Autism and Developmental Disorders. The authors say this is a conservative estimate — the costs could reach $1 trillion if autism diagnoses continue to rise as they have in recent years.

Effective early intervention, and more support for adults to continue their education and find employment, could help reduce costs, they say.

$2.4 Million

The lifetime cost of supporting an individual with both autism spectrum disorder and an intellectual disability, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics. The cost of supporting someone with autism but without an intellectual disability is $1.4 million, the study found.

50,000

The approximate number of people with autism who turn 18 each year, and thus begin aging out of support services, according to the advocacy group Autism Speaks.

26 Percent

The percentage of young adults on the autism spectrum who received no services during their early 20s to help them find a job, continue their education or live more independently, according to a 2015 report from the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University. The authors call this situation the “services cliff.”

37 Percent

The percentage of young adults with autism who are “disconnected” in their early 20s, meaning that they have never held a job or continued their education after high school, according to the Drexel report. In comparison, 8 percent of young adults with other types of disabilities — such as a learning disability, emotional disturbance or speech-language impairment — are disconnected, the authors found.

Article:

(2015). By the Numbers: A Look at Autism. Vol. 46. No. 9. Pg. 11. American Psychological Association.