Today is Autism Awareness Day; April is Autism Awareness Month

Autism affects more children than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and Down syndrome combined. Plus more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.

I find these facts amazing! Furthermore, this does NOT include the number of adults with autism!!

Did you know…

• 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
• 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
• 67 children are diagnosed per day
• A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Incidence vs. Private Funding

• Leukemia: Affects 1 in 25,000 / Funding: $310 million
• Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 20,000 / Funding: $175 million
• Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 8,000 / Funding: $394 million
• Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $130 million
• Autism: Affects 1 in 150 / Funding: $15 million

National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation

• Total 2005 NIH budget: $29 billion
• Of this, only $100 million goes towards autism research. This represents 0.3% of total NIH funding.

The international symbol for autism is a puzzle piece, signifying the mystery of this disorder. The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the individuals (and their families) effected. The brightness of the colors symbolizes hope - through research, increased awareness, understanding and acceptance.