February 14, 2005 - Report Finds 500 Percent Rise in School-Age Autism

There has been an increase of more than 500 percent in the last decade in the number of children diagnosed with autism and served by schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to a report released today by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). It is estimated by the Autism Society of America that about 1.5 million persons of all ages in this country live with one form or another of autism, including 10,000 school-age children. Though data are incomplete on the costs of educating autistic children and the services being provided by schools, the U.S. Department of Education estimates the average cost of educating an autistic child to be over $19,000, among the highest per pupil expenditures for school-age children receiving special education services in public schools. The report, "Special Education: Children with Autism," GAO-05-220, is available in PDF on the GAO website at www.gao.gov.