What is Autism?

  • Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3

  • Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities

  • Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous co-morbid medical conditions which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more

  • Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S. the incidence has climbed to an alarming one in 36 children in the U.S.

  • There is no cure for autism, though with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved and in some cases completely overcome.

Autism Facts & Stats

  • Autism now affects 1 in 36 children

  • Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls

  • About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood

  • Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)

  • The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years

  • Comorbid conditions often associated with autism include Fragile X, allergies, asthma, epilepsy, bowel disease, gastrointestinal/digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, PANDAS, feeding disorders, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, immune disorders, autoimmune disorders, and neuroinflammation.

  • Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded

  • Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key

  • Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition

Wandering/Elopement

  • Roughly half, or 48%, of children with an ASD attempt to elope from a safe environment, a rate nearly four times higher than their unaffected siblings

  • In 2009, 2010, and 2011, accidental drowning accounted for 91% total U.S. deaths reported in children with an ASD ages 14 and younger subsequent to wandering/elopement.

  • More than one third of ASD children who wander/elope are never or rarely able to communicate their name, address, or phone number

  • Two in three parents of elopers reported their missing children had a “close call” with a traffic injury

  • 32% of parents reported a “close call” with a possible drowning

  • Wandering was ranked among the most stressful ASD behaviors by 58% of parents of elopers

  • 62% of families of children who elope were prevented from attending/enjoying activities outside the home due to fear of wandering

  • 40% of parents had suffered sleep disruption due to fear of elopement

  • Children with ASD are eight times more likely to elope between the ages of 7 and 10 than their typically-developing siblings

  • Half of families with elopers report they had never received advice or guidance about elopement from a professional

  • Only 19% had received such support from a psychologist or mental health professional

  • Only 14% had received guidance from their pediatrician or another physician

Source: Interactive Autism Network Research Report: Elopement and Wandering (2011) 
Source: National Autism Association, Lethal Outcomes in ASD Wandering (2012)

Restraint/Seclusion

https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/seclusion-and-restraint/

 

Bullying

  • 65% of parents reported that their children with Asperger’s syndrome had been victimized by peers in some way within the past year

  • 47% reported that their children had been hit by peers or siblings

  • 50% reported them to be scared by their peers

  • 9% were attacked by a gang and hurt in the private parts

  • 12% indicated their child had never been invited to a birthday party

  • 6% were almost always picked last for teams

  • 3% ate alone at lunch every day

Source: Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing (2009)

Sexual Abuse

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls suffer from sexual abuse before the age of 18.

  • Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey, the country’s largest and most reliable crime study, reports that every two minutes a person is sexually victimized in the United States—and the numbers for individuals with disabilities are even higher.

  • A study done in Nebraska of 55,000 children showed a child with any type of intellectual disability was four times more likely to be sexually abused than a child without disabilities (Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). While no specific numbers exist for individuals with autism, research suggests that this population is extremely vulnerable.