Latest Autism Statistics

The purposes of this document/web link is to provide the latest in Autism statistics. Statistic information and collection protocols are provided where ever possible. Please refer to the original sources provided for more details.

• AUTISM OCCURRENCE: One in every 91 children in the US has autism (read American Academy Pediatrics Report). It is estimated that approximately one million individuals in the U.S. has autism. (Note: This number and the following statistics below do NOT include: PDD, Asperger’s and other spectrum disorders.) These statistics are endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and other federal agencies.

• U.S. FACTS:
  • A new case of autism is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes
  • There are 24,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year
  • The economic impact of autism is more than $90 billion and is expected to more than double in the next decade.
  • Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.
  • There is no medical detection or cure for autism.
    
    

• AUTISM COMPARED TO OTHER DISABILITIES: Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. today,

• AUTISM & CALIFORNIA STATISTICS ***:
  • EIGHT new cases each day – 7 days a week in California alone!
  • From 1987-1998, there was a 633% increase in autism (DSM-IV) in the State of California. (Note: In 1998, mandatory immunizations programs and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine were introduced.)
  • From 1998-2002 there was an additional 96% increase in Autism (DSM IV) in the State of California.
  • Autism cases represent over 18% of California’s Regional Center caseload. Annual budget for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) care is more than $171,000,000. Autism cases account for nearly 60% of intake.
  • In state-operated institutions of care, there are 3,436 people with autism.
  • NOTE: These numbers below do NOT include: PDD, Asperger's and other spectrum disorders.
    
  • California Autism diagnoses by quarter:
    

  QUARTER	Total # children 3-5 years old	Net gain	Change in net gain
  1Q 2003	4,228	189	+81
  2Q 2003	4,466	238	+49
  3Q 2003	4,558	92	-146
  4Q 2003	4,611	53	-39
  1Q 2004	4,793	182	+129
  2Q 2004	4,894	101	-81
  3Q 2004	4,997	103	+2
  4Q 2004	5,156	159	+56
  1Q 2005	5,307	151	-8
  2Q 2005	5,446	139	-12
  3Q 2005	5,539	93	-46
  4Q 2005	5,680	141	48
  1Q 2006	5,827	147	6
  2Q 2006	6,083	256	109
  3Q 2006	6,188	105	-151
  4Q 2006	6,348	160	55
  1Q 2007	6,533	185	25
  2Q 2007	6,702	169	-16
  3Q 2007	6,926	224	55
  4Q 2007	7,245	319	95

  
  
  • AGE AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: In the State of California nearly 7 out of 10 children with autism are less than 14 years old.
    
    

  California Individuals with Autism by Age and Birth Years (see data below)

  
  

  Birth Years	Age	# of Individuals	% Rounded
  2006-2007	0-2 years	44	0%
  2002-2004	3-5 years	7,245	20%
  1998-2001	6-9 years	9,740	26%
  1994-1997	10-13 years	7,010	19%
  1990-1993	14-17 years	4,783	13%
  1986-1989	18-21 years	2,554	7%
  1976-1985	22-31 years	2,624	7%
  1966-1975	32-41 years	1,364	4%
  1956-1965	42-51 years	1,112	3%
  1946-1955	52-61 years	387	1%
  1945 and earlier	62+ years	79	0%
  CA Total Individuals with Autism		35,716
  Source: State of California, Department of Developmental Services Quarterly Client Characteristics Reports

  SOURCE INFORMATION:

  • California Department of Developmental Services Autism Main Website
  • Link to the CDC Data

*** California’s autism statistics were referenced because the state has been tracking developmental disabilities since 1969.

"In January 2008, the Department [California Department of Developmental Services] began transitioning its CDER [Client Development Evaluation Report] database to a revised instrument with more current diagnostic standards and updated evaluation questions. This transition is taking place in phases with the full transition expected to be completed in 2011. As a result of this transition, no new CDER information will be released until Fall 2008." (As of December 2008, this information has not yet been released.)

• BETTER DIAGNOSIS? Some have suggested that autism is just being better diagnosed today versus ten years ago and that many cases of mental retardation are now being coded as autism. This would also assume that the experts diagnosing autism before did not know what they were doing.
  
  This is NOT TRUE. Autism is the only disorder dramatically on the rise while mental retardation, Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis remain relatively the same. A January 2009 UC MIND Institute refutes this notion.

• GIRLS VS. BOYS: Autism strikes boys more often than girls–it is roughly four times more common in boys. Statistics are 1 in every 150 children will be diagnosed with autism, meaning 1 in every 94 boys will also be diagnosed with autism.

• FUNDING RESEARCH: In the late 1990s The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded just $5 million in Autism Research. Today, the National Institutes of Health funds allocation:

• $29 billion Total NIH funding

• Only $80 million of the total $29 billion NIH funds allocation directly funds autism research. *Note: This represents 0.28% of total NIH funding.  

• MUCH MORE FUNDING is needed.

• HOW DOES FUNDING FOR AUTISM COMPARE TO OTHER CHILDHOOD DISORDERS & DISEASES?

• Leukemia 1 in 25,000 Funding: $310 million

• Muscular Dystrophy 1 in 20,000 Funding: $175 million

• Pediatric AIDS 1 in 8,000  $394 million

• Juvenile Diabetes 1 in 500 Funding: $130 million

• Autism 1 in 91 Funding: $42 million
  
  (Dollar amounts reflect approximate annual funds raised by major private advocacy groups.)
  
  Note: It is important to emphasize we are not suggesting the importance of any one disease over another. The provided funding information is only meant to demonstrate the disparity of funding for autism.

Information from Author David Kirby Author of Evidence of Harm Slide 1   Slide 2   Slide 3   Slide 4   Slide 5

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TACA Family Stories

Before		During		After

I had Christian when I was 19 years old.  For the first year of his life I couldn’t imagine anything being wrong with my baby.  He smiled; he laughed; he rolled, crawled and walked on time.  At age one he had a massive overload for his little immune system.  He had two ear infections, a high fever, back to back treatment of major antibiotics and he was given his MMR, varicella and HIB vaccines while he was still very sick.  Christian faded away for the next 6 months.

At age two he was diagnosed with full syndrome Autism.  I met an amazing mother who introduced me to the group Talk About Curing Autism.  Before I found out about TACA, I had no clue that there was hope for my child. From that day on I knew that it was my job to get my son back and undue what had been done to him.

It has been three years since Christian was diagnosed with Autism.  I had taken what I had learned from TACA, found wonderful therapists, began a diet, found a DAN! Doctor, and took control of my child’s health.  I heard his first word when he was 38 months old, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.   

Today Christian attends a typical private preschool. He is the only child in the class with a diagnosis…and none of the other parents know that.  He speaks clearly, has friends, reads, pretends on the playground and even knows what he wants to be when he grows up (which of course changes weekly). 

I can honestly say, if I had not found that mom (you know who you are), and not been introduced to TACA, I don’t know where Christian would be today and I don’t know if I would ever have been able to help other parents starting this journey.  Thank you TACA, thank you my hero mom, and thank you Christian for fighting this with me.  I love you.

Chelsi, Washington State