Autism Statistics

The rise in the number of autistic spectrum disorder cases worldwide has pushed the condition to the forefront of public consciousness.

It remains uncertain to this day whether the prominence of autism is an indication that the condition is in fact on the rise or it is merely a sign of increased public awareness. In any case, here are some autism statistics that may help you gain a clearer picture of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is estimated to occur in as many as 1 out of every 150 births in the U.S.

It is thought that 1 to 1.5 million Americans are afflicted with this condition.

4 out of 5 people afflicted with autism spectrum disorders are male

3 out of 4 autistic people are thought to be mentally retarded

Almost 40% of autistic patients are also afflicted with some form of epilepsy

Most autistic patients are confined to health care institutions by the time they are age 13

A child with an autistic sibling is 25 times more likely to develop the condition

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the country, with a registered growth rate of 10% to 17% every year.

To illustrate the staggering rise of this condition, autism statistics show that while the population of the United States increased 13% in the 1990s, and the number of cases of disability rose 16%, the number of registered cases of autistic spectrum disorders rose 172%!

The estimated cost of the condition to the country’s health care industry is measured at 90 billion dollars a year.

More than 90% of this cost has been attributed to the care of adult autistic patients.

By 2013 the estimated cost of autism on the nation’s health care industry is expected to grow to somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 400 billion dollars every year.

In spite of the prevalence of this condition, it receives less than 5% of the research funds allocated to other less common diseases.

Perhaps the most disheartening of all autism statistics is that there is currently no known treatment or cure.