Autism Facts and Statistics
1 in 54 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
ASD is about 4.5 times more common among boys than among girls.
Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals with ASD with an average prevalence of between 1% and 2%.
Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
Parents who have a child with ASD have a 2%–18% chance of having a second child who is also affected (CDC 2015).
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). Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.