A Common Diagnosis?

A COMMON DIAGNOSIS? AUTISM PREVALENCE COMPARED l in 88 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. While this number may seem alarming to some, it is fairly low compared to the number of those diagnosed with other conditions such as asthma, ADHD and diabetes. Let's explore how prevalent autism really is and why it's not as common as you might think. WHAT IS AUTISM? Here is a quick summary of the disorder and its characteristics. Definition: Autism is a range of neurodevelopment disorders that manifests as social Early signs: No babbling as a baby, poor eye contact, little responsiveness. Later signs: Impaired social abilities, inability to conduct conversations, repetitive use of language, abnormal patterns of interest or focus. impairments, communication problems and repetitive, compulsive behaviors. PREVALENCE OF AUTISM IN THE U.S. 1 IN 252 1 IN 88 1 IN 54 CHILDREN IN THE U.S. GIRLS diagnosed BOYS diagnosed with autism with autism Diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder Diagnosis by year Whether due to lifestyle changes or simply increased awareness, more and more children are being classified as having an autism spectrum disorder. 1 IN 150 CHILDREN 1 IN 150 CHILDREN 1 IN 125 CHILDREN 1 IN 110 CHILDREN 1 IN 88 CHILDREN 2000 2002, 2004. 2006 TODAY ECONOMIC COSTS Medical costs for a child with autism are, on average, as $10,709 much as six times higher than for those without autism. Average annual cost for a child with autism $3.5 $5 $90 BILLION million million $1,812 Average annual cost for a child without autism ESTIMATED LIFETIME COST of caring for one child with autism Estimated ANNUAL NATIONAL COST of autism care HOW DO THEY COMPARE? While statistics on autism have many parents monitoring their children more closely, many other conditions are much more prevalent and potentially more destructive. Prevalence and cost +1 IN 12 $50.1 Asthma PEOPLE BILLION 1 IN 11 $52 ADHD CHILDREN BILLION 1 IN 5 $14.5 Allergies PEOPLE BILLION 1 IN 3 $147 Obesity ADULTS BILLION Developmental/ learning disabilities 1 IN 6 $51.2 CHILDREN BILLION 1 IN 9 $245 Diabetes ADULTS BILLION Rate of change Here is a look at the growth or reduction in developmental disabilities among children 13 to 17. Patient's Name - +289.5% Any developmental disability X ADHD Autism R] O Blind/unable to see at all O Moderate to profound hearing loss O Learning disability a Intellectual disability A Seizures, past 12 months Stutter or stammer, past 12 months * Other developmental delay +17.1% X-33% +24.7% +18.2% +5.5% +9.1% +3.1% -1.5% -30.9% Percent change, 1997-2008 ROSINSON DRUG MORTALITY RATES Though autism is a serious and life-altering condition, people can live with the disorder and many, through intensive behavioral interventions, can learn to function in society. People with other disorders, however, are not so lucky. Here are the mortality rates for some other disorders. ASTHMA ALLERGIES 700 3,404 annual deaths annual deaths OBESITY DIABETES 231,404 300,000 annual deaths annual deaths AUTISM AND ADHD ADHD and autism do share some common genetic factors and many symptoms regarding hyperactive, repetitive behaviors – even a link to certain psychiatric disorders. However, ADHD is a much more common diagnosis among children. Here are some side-by-side statistics. ADHD Autism Percentage of school-aged children diagnosed 9.5% 1% Total number of diagnoses in the U.S. 5.4 MILLION 1.5 MILLION Increase in average annual diagnosis rates 22% 17% SOURCES www.cdc.gov www.autism-society.org www.aafa.org www.nih.org socialworkdegreeguide.com