Autism is a life-long developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is thought to be the result of a neurological disorder that affects functioning of the brain, causing symptoms such as lack or severe delay in speech, fascination with objects rather than people, resistance to physical contact, decreased empathy, deficit in imitation and odd or repetitive body movements.
This disorder makes it difficult for individuals to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. Autism is currently our nation's most prevalent childhood developmental disorder.
Recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control show that as many as 1 in 110 children born today are on the autism spectrum. Once a person with autism reaches adulthood, the cost to provide the necessary educational and social services, as well as supervised living arrangements, is more than $100,000 per year. Current statistics show that more than $90 billion is spent annually on treating individuals with autism. That figure is expected to increase to $400 billion per year by 2015.
