In light of Autism Awareness Month, here are some startling statistics provided by a national autism group that many people are not aware of:

• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in U.S.
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
• 67 children are diagnosed per day
• Found equally in all walks of life and in all populations around the world a new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with, diabetes, and cancer combined
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent Childhood diseases
• Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to DOUBLE in the next decade
• 90% of those costs are in ADULT services (The cost of lifelong care can Be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention)
• In just TEN years, the annual projected cost will be $200-400 BILLION

This provides a few more reasons why autism needs help, funding and answers. Anyone disagree?

Based on information from the following sources:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), (2001), and 2000 U.S. Census figures of 280 million Americans; U.S. Department of Education’s “Twenty-First Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (1999); Jarbrink K, Knapp M, 2001, London School of Economics study: “The economic impact on autism in Britain,” 5 (1): 7-22; estimations from Autism Society of America (February 2003)