Divorce Rates of Parents of Autistic Children

80 Percent Autism Divorce Rate Debunked in First-Of-Its Kind Scientific Study
Kennedy Krieger researchers find autism does not affect family structure
Press Release
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2010

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Having a child with autism can put stress on the parents’ marriage, and a frequently cited statistic leads to a common perception that the divorce rate among these families is as high as 80 percent. But a study to be released at a news conference today by researchers from Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore found that a child’s autism has no effect on the family structure.

Brian Freedman, PhD, lead author of the study and clinical director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute, said the findings seem to debunk a lot of the general understanding about high divorce rates among parents of children with autism. Dr. Freedman and his research team found that 64 percent of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) belong to a family with two married biological or adoptive parents, compared with 65 percent of children who do not have an ASD.

Dr. Freedman will present results of the study in Philadelphia at the International Meeting for Autism Research, an annual scientific meeting convened to exchange new scientific progress among autism researchers from around the world.

Receiving the news of a child’s autism diagnosis can be devastating, and Dr. Freedman said the pain is compounded as parents ponder what will happen to them as a couple. “In the work I’ve done with children with autism, I’ve come across many couples who quote this 80 percent divorce rate to me. They don’t know what the future holds for their child, and feel a sense of hopelessness about the future of their marriage as well — almost like getting a diagnosis of autism and a diagnosis of divorce at the same time,” he said.

With very little empirical and no epidemiological research addressing the issue of separation and divorce among parents of children with autism, researchers sought to more scientifically examine the incidence. Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health[1] , they examined a nationally representative sample of 77,911 children, ages 3 to 17.

Previous research speaks to the fact that parenting a child with autism is stressful, and it puts pressure on the marriage. Dr. Freedman noted that past studies have found couples with a child with autism experience more stress in their marriage than couples with typically developing children or couples with children with other types of developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome. Mothers of children with autism report more depression than those with typically developing children, while fathers report they deal with the stress by distancing themselves and becoming less involved with the family.

“While there are indeed stressors in parenting a child with autism, it doesn’t necessarily result in the family breaking up more often than would occur in another family,” said Dr. Freedman. “And as someone who works with a team of health care professionals to treat and provide support for families of children with autism, it’s important for us to make sure our patients’ parents know that, and for our fellow clinicians to provide reliable, evidence-based information about the divorce rate among this population as well.”

This analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health data showed there are certain factors in a family that can contribute to divorce, such as having a child with particularly challenging behaviors, with or without autism. For some families, the challenges of parenting a child with special needs may indeed result in straining the marriage to the breaking point. Further research is needed to understand the relationships among in-tact families with children with autism to identify how they work through the challenges.

“I would hope this research drives home the importance of providing support to these families, and letting them know that their relationships can survive these stressors,” he said. “We should continue to provide training for parents so that they can work through the stressors in their relationship to keep their family together and have a successful marriage.”

Dr. Freedman’s presentation will be held on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. ET during the Epidemiology 2 Session in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Grand Ballroom CD Level 5 room.

In addition to Freedman, the research team includes Luther Kalb, of Kennedy Krieger Institute; and Ben Zablotsky and Dr. Elizabeth Stuart, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

About Autism
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the nation’s fastest growing developmental disorder, with current incidence rates estimated at 1 in 100 children. This year more children will be diagnosed with autism than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, yet profound gaps remain in our understanding of both the causes and cures of the disorder. Continued research and education about developmental disruptions in individuals with ASD is crucial, as early detection and intervention can lead to improved outcomes in individuals with ASD.

About Kennedy Krieger Institute
Internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 13,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information on Kennedy Krieger Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.

Florida Responds To Questions About Rising Autism Rates

Florida has responded to the questions I sent out to various governors around the country. Here are the questions that I asked and a copy of the email letter in response to them.

1. When the CDC announced the new autism rates, 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism, what were your first thoughts?

2. Services for children with autism are limited and difficult to receive. Most are limited to speech, occupational and speech therapy, yet hardly ever enough of these services to make a big impact for our children. Services like ABA and Floortime therapy are usually not available for our children unless we, the parents, pay for them ourselves. Children that receive at least 20 to 25 hours a week of specialized therapy make more progress than those that do not. What do you intend to do to make government paid specialized therapy services available for our children?

3. Early Intervention is extremely important. Do you have any plans for improving the identification and diagnosis of autism and an earlier age?

4. Autism families need a voice within the government. There are several great organizations that lobby and advocate for us, but we need government officials to take up our cause. Do you have any plans to stand up as a voice for the autism community and bring about more government involvement in addressing the concerns of families raising a child with autism and bringing about practical help for us?

5. Finally, have you considered the time when our children are adults and will require even more help? As parents, we like to think that we will always be here for our children. As our children get older, we realize that soon they will be adults and may become dependent on the government for their care. Do you have any plans to address this issue?



March 1, 2010


Dear Ms. Lessick,

Thank you for your recent letter to Governor Crist. He has asked that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities respond in order to provide you with a more specific and detailed response.

1. There are growing concerns regarding the high autism prevalence rates across the nation. In Florida, the Governor’s Task Force on Autism Spectrum Disorders was created to be more responsive to these concerns.

2. In response to concerns that certain treatments for autism were not covered and incurred out-of-pocket expenses for families, the Florida Legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law, SB 2654, which provides enhanced coverage for certain autism therapies under eligible plans. As the State determines the impact of this legislation, we will continue to explore options to minimize the burden on Florida’s families. Additionally, a child with autism may be eligible for services through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. A person is determined to qualify for these services based on criteria established by the Florida Legislature, or criteria established by Medicaid. You can learn more about these services and eligibility by viewing the APD Resource Manual at: http://www.apd.myflorida.com/legislative/2007-legislative/apd-resource-manual-2007.pdf

3. Strategies for the early identification and diagnosis of autism must carefully be developed and considered. For this reason, the Window of Opportunity Act (SB 2654) was passed into law. Designed to reach more children affected by autism, SB 2654 requires large group health insurance plans to provide coverage for diagnostic screening. In addition, the Department of Health’s Children’s Medical Services administers the Early Steps program which offers early intervention services to infants and toddlers with special needs. Services are provided by local Early Steps offices across the state of Florida. You can read more about Early Steps by visiting http://www.cms-kids.com/index.html.

4. Recently, autism has received increased attention by the Executive and Legislative branches in the last three (3) years. I encourage your readers to contact your state representative in the Florida Legislature to express your thoughts and ideas regarding the government’s role in the lives of people affected by autism. You can locate your representative by visiting http://www.leg.state.fl.us

I also encourage you to look at the work being done by the Governor’s Task Force on Autism Spectrum Disorders, which was created in March 2008 through Executive Order 08-36. The Task Force was created to advance public policy for the research, screening, education, and treatment of autism, to assess the availability of insurance coverage for appropriate treatment of autism, and to recommend a unified and coordinated agenda for addressing autism in Florida. More information on the Task Force and a copy of their 2009 report is found at www.healthyfloridians.com/autism.html.

5. It is important to explore the needs of individuals across the lifespan. This includes issues of transitional periods, independence, and assistance when caregivers age. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs is the agency responsible for administering human services programs for the elderly (Section 430.03 Florida Statutes). Its purpose is to serve elders in all ways to help them keep their self-sufficiency and self-determination. Additionally, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities provides services to aging persons with developmental disabilities. Depending on various factors, financial and otherwise, an individual who lacks a caregiver and is affected by autism may qualify for Medicaid assistance. A comprehensive summary of Medicaid services is published by the Agency for Health Care Administration and can be found at http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/pdffiles/SS_10_100105_SOS.pdf.


We will continue to explore ways to provide better services for Floridians of all ages, with a goal of empowering families impacted by autism to obtain needed services and attain an improved quality of life.

Thank you for all that you do and for your support in helping all of Florida’s families impacted by autism.


Sincerely,



Tamara Yang Demko, J.D.
Chief of Staff

NY Governor Responds to Autism Questions

It took a while, but I finally received a response from the emails I sent to different Governors around the country. Unfortunately, Gov. David A. Patterson, NY, is not the one who replied. It was Ellen J. Anderson, M.S., Director, Center for Community Health, State of New York, Department of Health. It is a long, three page response, with answers to each of my questions.

You might want to go back and read the last post I did about emailing politicians for their opinions on autism. Here is the first question that I asked.

1. When the CDC announced the new autism rates, 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism, what were your first thoughts?

The response:
“During the past decade, there has been growing national awareness and concern about the increasing prevalence of ASD among young children. The recent findings from the CDC Autism Surveillance Network may be the result of a true increase in prevalence of ASD, improvements in the early identification and diagnosis of, improved reporting of diagnoses, or likely a combination of all of these factors.”

You can correct me if you think I am wrong, but that doesn’t read like an answer to my question. To me, it concedes that there is an increase in children being diagnosed, but that it may be because professionals are getting better at diagnosing. I wanted Gov. Patterson’s opinion and I received a non-answer from Ms. Anderson.

I’m not going to post the whole letter here, it is too long. I do want to point out information provided in the answer to the second question:

2. Services for children with autism are limited and difficult to receive. Most are limited to speech, occupational and speech therapy, yet hardly ever enough of these services to make a big impact for our children. Services like ABA and Floortime therapy are usually not available for our children unless we, the parents, pay for them ourselves. Children that receive at least 20 to 25 hours a week of specialized therapy make more progress than those that do not. What do you intend to do to make government paid specialized therapy services available for our children?

“Based on the available scientific evidence, the Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorders CPG recommends behavioral intervention program for young children with autism. The NYS DOH will be completing a review and update of this guideline based on scientific research completed during the past decade.

The New York State Early Intervention Program currently provides reimbursement for ABA and, through clinical practice guideline, encourages families and providers to use ABA as the cornerstone of individualized family service plans for children with autism.”

Since she says it is through Early Intervention, I am assuming it is available for children ages birth through age three. These are the ages that the Early Intervention Program services. What about older chidren that have not received ABA and would benefit from it? I think it is great that NY is doing this, but I have seen that children older than the age of three are limited in the help they need.

My son would greatly benefit from ABA, but it is not a reimbursable therapy available for children in my state. At least NY is doing something. I am happy about that. I also encourage families in NY to look into this if they are not currently receiving ABA for their young child.

I would still like to see more responses from other states. I am disappointed that Gov. Patterson did not answer the first question, but am satisfied with Ms. Anderson’s answers to the other questions. She provided some useful information, especially on the ABA therapy available for young children. I hope that NY can be an example for other states and I hope that they will look into the fact that children over the age of three need help, too.

Autism Advocate Reacts to New Autism Rates

“Earlier diagnosis, better screening, environmental contributors, vaccines…” There are many varied camps that offer an explanation of the rising statistics of autistic birth rates, but in truth while this is devastating to all, to a parent of a child already on the autism spectrum our fears are focused more on the day to day challenges that living with autism presents. Advocating for services, education, and treatment. Living with the day to day fears that present when you essentially feel as if you are entrusting a newborn to strangers on a daily basis. The fears that come when your child cannot read social cues and is therefore again at the mercy of society. The anxiety over wondering if your child will ever develop and sustain relationships independent of you. And finally the fear of what will become of your child should something happen to you. The growing statistics ultimately mean that the community of those facing this fear is growing exponentially. So, what does that mean to me a an individual?

My heart does ache when I hear the rising statistics because I was there…D-day…diagnosis day. And while that was over ten years ago it still evokes memories of overwhelming fear, despair, guilt, and pain. The fight for services in the school system and through insurance companies is work. The pain of watching his peers get older and build relationships and what will soon be romances as he remains perpetually my little boy often catches me so off guard that I have to put my head down to catch my breath. But through it all I am so thankful for him. My son has given me a view of life that I would not have seen before. Does his progress come in smaller increments, yes but each achievement is celebrated with as much fanfare as if they were by leaps and bounds. He has given me the gift of appreciation for every moment of the day. We have much work ahead of us, and unfortunately the knowledge that I am not alone in this struggle is not comforting.

To that end as I am not a clinician or expert I can only give suggestions from the point of view as a parent.

1. Don't give up, ever. It is not an option. Push your child as hard as you push your other children. Expect them to excell in school, home and their communities. Give them responsibilities and chores in the home, make homework manditory and demand it from their teachers whether it is academic in nature, tactile, or speech related. The process of having a routine to work from is important. In short, have expectations of them. How can they grow if there are no believes they can.

2. Work closely with their teachers, program directors, coaches, therapist, etc. Ask questions often and repeatedly, and be their voice until they are their own voice. Just because someone has a degree or license does not mean they are an expert in your child.

3. Dont beat yourself up if you cannot make every meeting, lobby for every piece of legislature, or advocate for every new service that comes down the pike...take care of you! This is a cross-country, not a relay...we are in this for the long haul and no one benefits if you are burnt out.

4. Stay educated, but follow your gut instinct. There is tons of conflicting information available thanks to the internet. Read it judiciously. Don't lose sight of your child, you know them best.

5. Expose them to social situations, people may be inpatient and sometimes mean, but raising your child in a bubble is detrimental to thier growth. Be vigilent for safety reasons of course, but dont isolate them. With the rates of autism being what they are more and more people are exposed to it. Social skill building by modeling is an important part of growth.

6. Above all rejoice in the accomplishments your child makes no matter how small. This builds self-esteem which they need.
To each family, newly diagnosed or living on the spectrum for some time now I offer my anthem of empowerment. No Small Victories…every accomplishment should be celebrated!

Jacqueline Williams-Hines is an autism awareness advocate and author of the No Small Victories autism awareness children’s book series.

What Happens When Autistic Children Become Adults

I conducted an email interview with Dan E. Burns, Ph.D., author of Saving Ben about the new autism rates. His son is currently 22 and is dealing with issues now that will only get worse when the rising number of children now being diagnosed with autism become adults. After you read this, I urge you to leave a comment about your concerns. We need to make our voices heard.

You can also join me, Stacie with Super Mommy to the Rescue and Jon Gilbert with Same Child, Different Day in our email campaign to the government. You can read more about our efforts here, Government Officials Need to Respond to Rising Autism Rates. A copy of the email we are using can be found on my post, Reaching Out to the Government to Help Our Children.

Here are the questions and answers for my interview with Dan E. Burns is author of Saving Ben:

Question: What was your reaction to the new CDC autism rates?

Answer: I was surprised that the CDC rate 1 in 110 was not higher. The commonly quoted prevalence rate from October 2009 issue of Pediatrics was 1 in 91, and anecdotal evidence suggests that both rates understate the problem. Dallas Independent School District (DISD) had three or four autism classrooms fifteen years ago, when Ben entered the system. DISD is planning to open ten new special education classrooms this year, mainly to serve ASD students. Big picture, we are looking at a 10-fold increase in ASD students in the last decade. Clearly, there is a growing wave of ASD students rolling toward graduation.

Question: These rates are based on children diagnosed with autism. How do you see this affecting children when they are adults?

Answer: When Ben was diagnosed, his pediatric neurologist said, "Save your money for his institutionalization when he turns 21." Ben is 22 and has aged out of the school system and related support services. He is at the lip of a tsunami of aged-out students who are about to hit the impact zone and will need jobs, homes, and supportive communities.

Question: Do you think the government will be prepared to assist such an increase in autistic adults in the future?

Answer: Governments are unprepared for the impact. As an example, last October, Ben interviewed with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services in search of a job. He was informed by letter that "It has been determined that an employment outcome cannot be achieved because of the severity of your disability. Therefore, you are not eligible for vocational rehabilitative services." Without a job, Ben's opportunities to live in a group home are severely limited. And the supportive community that surrounded him at school has simply disappeared. Ben is left in the shore dump.

Question: 3. Do you think that the government is currently meeting the needs of autistic adults? If not, what will this mean for the rising number of autistic children when they are adults?

Answer: No, government is not currently meeting the needs of autistic adults. According to a CARD in Florida, "The Current State of Services for Adults with Autism," 74% of autistic adults want to work, but only 19% are currently working.

As usual, policies pressure for a solution must come through parents. Advancing Futures of Adults with Autism (AFAA) is holding national town hall meetings and is preparing a national agenda for presentation to Congress and President Obama. Meanwhile, there are some things that parents can do for children who have not yet aged out. Here are five things I wish I'd done before Ben graduated:

Institute a rigorous program of household chores and savings.

Consider a summer job instead of summer school.

Participate in weekend work retreats with your ASD child.

Work with the school system to create internships in sheltered workshops.

Resist school system dependency. Teach your child to advocate for himself.

Whether our children are school age or adults, we are in this together.

Dan E. Burns is author of Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism. See a 2-minute video review of the book, HERE.

Artist Pablo Solomon Reacts to New Autism Rates

Artist and designer Pablo Solomon contacted me with his reactions to the new autism rates that the CDC recently reported. He believes that we need to address what causes autism before we can address the rising autism rates. I may not agree with everything he has to say, but some should be addressed. Let me know what you think.

"Hi Tammy,
Glad that you are open to opinions that might open some tough discussions.
Please, let me say that while I express these opinions that I in no way wish to induce guilt in anyone nor hurt feelings. Trust me, my life has been filled with enough mistakes and misjudgments to fill more than one novel.

But here are some issues that I feel must be addressed/researched--
1. Woman having children at such late ages.

2. What effects do medications have? We all know about the vaccine controversy. However, women are routinely taking several medications daily and often have been for years. We really do not know enough about sideline effects on fetuses, especially the combined effects of these drugs.

3. Environmental factors. Sadly, many cities use the chlorinated waste water from cities upstream or from lakes. We now know that many medications pass through the body and end up in large quantities in our water supplies. Not to mention the old standbys such as pollutants in the atmosphere.

4. Stress factors. So many women are not only having children later in life, but have very stressful lives.

5. The male factor. What factors do men contribute? And to what degree do all the factors that I have listed for women effect men?

6. What degree does vanity play? Botox, silicon implants, etc. Even hair coloring,hormone treatments, skin care products, etc.We know very little about the impact of any of these.

7. Is there any connection between abortions and later problems? This is not meant to be a commentary on this controversial topic, but rather a cold scientific question.

8. Weird environmental factors. I am also known for my visionary environmental designs. While global warming is the least of my environmental worries, many other factors should be cause for real alarm. Things like exposure to too many x-rays---at the dentist, doctor, mammograms, etc. Exposure to microwaves from everything from ovens to cell phones. Exposure to electromagnetic energy from high voltage electric lines. And the list goes on. While I support moving forward to make life better, there are situations in which we take the short term cheap way out and pay the long term price.

9. Dry cleaning has long been suspected to cause some health problems--is autism one of them? While on the subject of chemical exposure, how much extermination of one's home is acceptable? Does the little spot of Raid left on your finger before you can wash it off soak in--for example--or should we wear protective gloves every time we take aim at a bug?

10. General inactivity. What effect does exercise--to much or too little have?

11. Chaotic home lives. Do children react to chaos by tuning it out?

Well this will probably get us started. I would be glad to discuss any of these.
Thank you for taking on such an important and difficult subject. Unless we do our research and face the resultant facts, we cannot make progress on addressing autism." - Pablo Solomon --Artist and Designer

Calling for Action After the CDC Reports Higher Autism Rates

1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism. That is 1 percent of our children in the United States. “These results indicate an increased prevalence of identified ASDs among U.S. children aged 8 years and underscore the need to regard ASDs as an urgent public health concern. Continued monitoring is needed to document and understand changes over time, including the multiple ascertainment and potential risk factors likely to be contributing. Research is needed to ascertain the factors that put certain persons at risk, and concerted efforts are essential to provide support for persons with ASDs, their families, and communities to improve long-term outcome.” - CDC

Identifying ASD at a young age is important. Early intervention has been proved to benefit our children. Yet, “the average age of diagnosis was 53 months” - CDC. Autism Speaks is pushing for the government to finance efforts to improve this number. I feel that this is extremely important for children that have yet to be diagnosed.






The CDC also acknowledges that community services are important in order to “improve daily functioning and long-term life outcomes.” The Autism Society of America agrees with this, and is calling upon the “government to address the pressing need for community-based services to ensure a better quality of life for people with autism and their families and to increase funding for research into what factors put people at risk and treatments that will mitigate the severest medical symptoms affecting people with this chronic medical condition.” http://www.autism-society.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=15481&news_iv_ctrl=1882

Both organizations are working towards important goals. Both are doing what they can to get the government to step up and help the children of America. This is no longer a concern for the few. The statistics show that the ASD rates are increasing drastically. It is time that the government started making a real impact in this area.

A child should not have to wait until the age of 4 and 5 for a diagnosis. Appropriate therapy can not be established without an appropriate diagnosis. Parents should not have to fight for a few hours of therapy a week. Children with autism benefit more from intense therapy, like ABA or Floortime, 20 to 25 hours a week, minimum. Most parents are not able to get this for their child. Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy are important, but they don’t address the communication and social skills issues that are key with most autistic children. Two hours a week of combined therapy in those three areas are just not enough.


It is important that we all demand that our government take action. It is not enough that Autism Speaks and Autism Society of America are rallying their resources for us. We, the people, need to make our voices heard. It is time to call and email your Representatives and demand action. Call and email every level of government and every official that represents your city and your state. It is time that they started giving us some real help.

CDC Reports 1 in 110 Children Diagnosed With Autism

Press Release - Autism Speaks



As CDC Issues New Autism Prevalence Report, Autism Speaks Asks, "What Will It Take?" for Government to Meet the Challenge of this National Health Crisis
Leading Autism Advocacy Organization Calls for Dramatic Increase in Federal Funding for Research and Services


NEW YORK, N.Y. (December 18, 2009) – In the wake of today's new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stating that autism now affects 1 in every 110 American children, Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, called on the federal government to immediately step up its efforts – and dramatically increase funding – to address the growing national autism public health crisis.

“Now that the government has confirmed that one percent of American children have autism, the question becomes what it will take to get our elected leaders to wake up and take on this crisis in an appropriate way,” said Bob Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. “Must we wait until every member of Congress has a child or grandchild with autism, or until every household is impacted by this devastating disorder? With nearly 750,000 children on the autism spectrum, we need meaningful action now that acknowledges the scope of this problem and allocates the resources necessary to take the fight against autism to a new level. We cannot expect the millions of people impacted by this crisis to wait another 20 years for answers.”

The CDC report, published in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), states that 1% or 1 in every 110 children has been diagnosed with autism, including 1 in 70 boys. This represents a staggering 57 percent increase from 2002 to 2006, and a 600 percent increase in just the past 20 years. Other significant findings include that a broader definition of ASDs does not account for the increase, and while improved and earlier diagnosis accounts for some of the increase, it does not fully account for the increase. Thus, a true increase in the risk for ASD cannot be ruled out. Even though parents typically express concerns about their child's developmental progress before age three, the average age of diagnoses is not until 53 months, although diagnoses are occurring earlier than found in the 2002 study. The report uses the same methodology that produced the CDC's 2007 prevalence findings of 1 in 150 children with autism.

“This study provides strong evidence that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is, in fact, dramatically increasing,” said Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., Autism Speaks chief science officer, who noted that recent research indicates that a significant amount of the increase in autism prevalence cannot be explained by better, broader or earlier diagnosis. “It is imperative that the federal government, primarily through the National Institutes of Health and CDC, quickly and significantly increase funding for autism research. We have learned a lot about autism during the past five years. However, most of the critical questions about the factors that cause the many manifestations of autism – and how we can better treat this disorder – remain unanswered.”

“The CDC numbers validate what we already know: We have a major public health emergency on our hands that is taking an enormous toll on millions of families across the country,” said Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr. “These families want answers that can only come through further research. They also desperately want access to services that are, at this point, grossly inadequate to meet the current and growing needs of people with autism. That must change quickly, before our society becomes overwhelmed by the demand for these services in the coming years and decades.”

According to a 2007 Harvard School of Public Health study, it costs approximately $35 billion each year to care for people with autism – a number that has clearly increased over the past 2 years with the rising prevalence among the youngest people with ASD and a growing demand for housing, work skills and opportunities, healthcare, and other services that simply do not exist for adults with ASD. In FY 2008, total federal spending on autism research was just $177 million, expected to increase to $282 million in FY 2009 – only because of a one-time infusion of $89 million in stimulus spending.

“During his campaign, President Obama committed to $1 billion of annual federal spending on autism by 2012. In October, he identified autism as one of his administration's top three public health priorities. This new prevalence data must compel Congress to take action to fulfill the President's promise in the upcoming FY 2011 budget process,” said Wright. “It is also vital that any healthcare reform legislation sent by Congress to the President must include – as both the current House and Senate versions do – an end to insurance marketplace discrimination against people with autism by requiring insurers to deliver coverage for behavioral health treatments.”

“There are too many children with autism who are being diagnosed at six, seven or even eight years of age, which is far too late for them to experience the maximum benefits of early intervention services,” said Dawson. “Clearly, we need to do a better job of diagnosing children as early as possible – ideally by age two. We know that early intervention can make a critical difference in a child's outcome.”

Autism Rates Soar

This is a video from Newsy. It is a short collection of news sources discussing a new survey that has autism rates up to 1 in 91 children diagnosed with autism. What do you think?