Facts about Autism

Autism Awareness (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Did you know …

• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation $137 billion per year
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

 

Prevalence vs. Private Funding

• Leukemia: Affects 1 in 1,200 / Funding: $277 million
• Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 100,000 / Funding: $162 million
• Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 300 / Funding: $394 million
• Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $156 million
• Autism: Affects 1 in 88 / Funding: $79 million

 

National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation

• Total 2011 NIH budget: $30.5 billion
• Of this, only $169 million goes directly to autism research. This represents 0.6% of total NIH funding.

Source:  http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism