UC Davis researchers recommend broader access to early
intervention, employment support
(July 29, 2015) UC
Davis health economists have for the first time projected the total costs of
caring for all people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the U.S. for the
current calendar year and in 10 years if effective interventions and preventive
treatments for the condition are not identified and widely available.
Their forecasts for ASD-related medical, nonmedical and
productivity losses are $268 billion for 2015 and $461 billion for 2025. The
researchers noted that these estimates are conservative and, if ASD prevalence
continues to increase as it has in recent years, the costs could reach $1
trillion by 2025.
The study is published online in the Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders.
“The current costs of ASD are more than double the combined
costs of stroke and hypertension and on a par with the costs of diabetes,” said
study senior author Paul Leigh, professor of public health sciences and
researcher with the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research at UC Davis.
“There should be at least as much public, research and government attention to
finding the causes and best treatments for ASD as there is for these other
major diseases.”
Leigh hopes his findings inspire policy changes that
emphasize early intervention to reduce ASD symptoms, along with employment and
other programs that support the independence of adults with the disorder.