Autistic children are identified in 1 of 44 children. Depending on the level of the autism in a child - parents can sometimes have an extraordinarily difficult time parenting. A staggering 49 percent of autistic adults remain living with their parents throughout their adulthood due to sometimes chronic conditions of the disorder.. There are different levels of autism spectrum disorder which is why we wanted to share a few facts on Autism to help spread awareness on the changing autistic children face as well as their parents.
Facts About Autism
In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to 2018 data.
1 in 27 boys identified with autism
1 in 116 girls identified with autism
Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.
Most children were still being diagnosed after age 4, though autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as age 2.
31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85).
Autism affects all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
Minority groups tend to be diagnosed later and less often.
Early intervention affords the best opportunity to support healthy development and deliver benefits across the lifespan.
There is no medical detection for autism.
Intervention and support:
Early intervention can improve learning, communication and social skills, as well as underlying brain development.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) and therapies based on its principles are the most researched and commonly used behavioral interventions for autism.
Many children affected by autism also benefit from other interventions such as speech and occupational therapy.
Developmental regression, or loss of skills, such as language and social interests, affects around 1 in 5 children who will go on to be diagnosed with autism and typically occurs between ages 1 and 3.
Challenges
Studies show that 31% of children with autism spectrum disorder have an intellectual disability with significant challenges in daily function, 25% are in the borderline range.
An estimated 40 percent of people with autism are nonverbal.
Autism can affect not just the mind but also the whole body.
Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects an estimated 30 to 61 percent of children with autism.
More than half of children with autism have one or more chronic sleep problems.
Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 11 to 40 percent of children and teens on the autism spectrum.
Depression affects an estimated 7% of children and 26% of adults with autism.
As many as one-third of people with autism have epilepsy (seizure disorder).
We hope these facts offered you and your family some insight into autism spectrum disorder. We want to bring more light to this disorder and raise awareness for children effected by autism.
Please share this article to spread awareness.
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