Twenty Five Autism Statistics and Facts You Never Knew
In the last 20 years or so, a wealth of new knowledge has been gained about autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This has led to many positive developments in the diagnosis, treatment and acceptance of autism.
At the same time, if you aren’t directly involved with autism in some way — if you’re not a medical or mental health professional, a parent of a child with autism or know someone who’s affected by it — there’s probably much you don’t know.
Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, which is why we list 25 autism statistics and facts you never knew. This will help you understand autism more and how it affects people, whether or not you’re directly affected by it.
Table Of Contents
Twenty Five Facts
- It’s diverse: Autism manifests across a wide spectrum and affects people in a variety of ways. People with autism have differing challenges and strengths, and severity of their disorder.
- It affects about one in thirty six children:1 This equates to an autism prevalence rate of 2.78%.
- Rates are on the rise: ASD is among the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S.2, with more combined cases than childhood diabetes, AIDS and cancer combined.
- Children are born with it: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is presents when children are born3. It is not something that a child develops later in life.
- Most diagnoses happen around four years old: Some of the signs and symptoms of ASD can be identified before the age of 1, but most diagnoses occur around 4 years old, when symptoms are more obvious.
- There’s no medical test for it: Unlike with some diseases, there is no blood test or other medical test for ASD. A diagnosis is made solely on the presence of certain behavioral symptoms.
- Autism doesn’t get worse: While a child’s symptoms may begin to exhibit themselves more prominently as they get older, it’s not something that gets worse as they grow older.
- Early detection can result in positive interventions: The earlier autism can be identified and diagnosed, the more successful early-intervention therapies such as applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, can be.
- Early detection can reduce the cost of autism care: Studies suggest that autism care can cost as much as $2.4 million over a person’s lifetime. Those costs can be reduced by two-thirds, though, with early detection and intervention.
- Children with ASD struggle with communication: One of the hallmark signs of autism are challenges with communication. Some children may be non-verbal later than their peers, but many can learn to develop language skills through therapy.
- It affects sensory responses: Another hallmark sign of autism is a sensitivity to certain sensory stimuli. Children with autism may become overwhelmed at loud sounds, bright lights and strong odors, for example.
- More boys are diagnosed than girls4: Boys are diagnosed with autism at a rate that’s four time higher than girls. There may be some other factors at play, though, that ultimately even out that ratio in time.
- Autism screening is integrated into doctor’s visits: Per a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatricians, autism screening is integrated into regular well visits with a child’s pediatrician at a young age.
- Autistic adults are underemployed: The employment rate for adults with autism sits at about 33%.
- People with autism has shorter lifespans: The average life expectancy of a person with autism is about 36 years shorter than the general population.
- People with autism often experience anxiety: It’s been estimated that 40% of people with autism experience some form of anxiety disorder. Between 50% and 80% also experience sleep disorders.
- People with autism sometimes struggle with depression: At the same time, more than 30% of individuals with autism are also diagnosed with depression.
- People with autism have limited interests: Some people on the autism spectrum have specialized, limited interests. They focus intensely on the things they like and ignore the things they don’t like.
- They can have multiple conditions: Many people with autism also have overlapping conditions. This includes anxiety and depression, as mentioned, but also ADHD.
- It affects all types of people: Autism has been found to affect people from all socioeconomic and ethnic groups.
- Children with autism are intelligent5: It’s estimated that 44% of children who have autism have an IQ that’s higher than normal.
- There is no cure: There’s no known cure for autism, only treatment options that can help children reduce their symptoms.
- There is no single cause: There’s also no single cause of ASD. Genetics are a major factor, but environment may also play a role.
- Autism can affect diet: Autism can also affect other body functions, and often affects a person’s diet. In fact, many people who have autism also struggle with obesity.
- Early intervention helps: Children who are able to receive early-intervention therapies see a wealth of benefits, from improved developmental outcomes, to enhanced social skills, to greater independence and much more.
Blue Gems ABA Provides Early-Intervention Treatment for Children with Autism
These are just some of the statistics and facts that you might not have known about autism. One that stands out among the others is how much of a difference early-intervention treatments can make in a child’s outcomes.
At Blue Gems ABA, we provide personalized ABA therapy to children on the autism spectrum. Our trained therapists help children grow and develop the communication, social and daily life skills they often face challenges with.
To learn more, please contact us today.