How the Biden Administration Can Put Autism Policy on the Right Track in 2021
By Jill Escher
As the Biden administration takes the reins in Washington this week, the catastrophe of Covid-19 is understandably at the forefront of policymaking. But Covid is unfortunately not the only game in town — our newly installed leaders should also keep in mind another epic public health emergency, the nationwide deluge of disabling autism spectrum disorder.
To judge by data from our most populous state, California, we have witnessed a 40-fold increase in cases of permanently disabling, developmental-disability-level autism between the mid-1980s and today. In the case of the Golden State, this scorching increase means a climb from 3,000 cases 35 years ago to about 133,000 cases today. In another shocking statistic, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 5% of all boys in New Jersey now have autism, and overall trends suggest that increases have not plateaued and that soon fully 3% of all U.S. children will be afflicted. While school districts report ever-increasing caseloads, growing cohorts of disabled autistic young adults age out into a fragmented, outdated adult system unequipped to meet the complex needs. Financial models indicate a massive annual private and public economic burden to the tune of a trillion dollars. States, desperate to keep a lid on the high costs…