Did you Know...
*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
*Incidence vs Private Funding
Leukemia...1 in 25,000...$310 million
Muscular Dystrophy...1 in 20,000...$175 million
Pediatric AIDS...1 in 8,...$394 million
Juvenile Diabetes...1 in 500...$130 million
Autism...1 in 150...$15 million
*National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation (Total 2005 NIH budget: $29 Billion. Of this, only $100 million went toward autism research (representing Only .3% of total NIH funding)
*Having a child with autism can drain a family's resources due to expenses Such as evaluations, home programs, and various therapies
*There is no known CAUSE but numerous theories exist and numerous research Is taking place
*Research
-Abnormalities in brain structure or function (brain scans show differences In the shape and structure of the brain in those with autism versus those without)
-Environmental factors
*Exposure to environmental chemicals
*Viral infections
*Metabolic imbalances
-Possible link between heredity, genetics, and medical problems:
-Some may be born with a susceptibility to autism, but researchers have Not identified a single "trigger" that causes autism to develop
-Under certain conditions, a cluster of unstable genes may interfere with brain development resulting in autism
