Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 36 children born today are diagnosed with autism. That means that about 1.5 million Americans have a neurodevelopmental disability that can limit a child’s lifelong potential for independence. Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, and it is diagnosed about four times more often in boys than girls.
Autism can look very different from one person to the next, and there are many other conditions that co-occur with autism. For example, some autistic individuals have seizures, but others do not. Some have gastrointestinal problems, but others have none. Some have severe developmental delays, but others do not. This heterogeneity can make it challenging to understand the different causes of autism. It can also make it challenging to find effective supports for autistic individuals. This complexity limits both scientific progress and the development of effective interventions.