Autism Prevalence

Until recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 1:150 children in the U.S. have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (2007). Dividing the U.S. population by 150 provides an estimate of 1.7 million people with autism in the U.S., according to Autism Speaks, the Autism Society of America, and others. Two current government studies released in October of 2009 indicate that the ratio is actually closer to 1:100; if accurate, the estimate of people living with autism in the U.S. would rise to 2.6 million people. Note: the key word is “estimate”. It is not a data-driven statistic.

The CDC does have some hard data. The February 2007 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the CDC reported that there were 560,000 people between the ages of 3 and 22. Obviously, this does not account for the total population, so the actual prevalence of autism in the U.S. would appear to lie somewhere in between this baseline number and the 1.7-2.6 million estimate.

Autism Prevalence among Military Dependents

Just as the research conducted by the CDC in establishing its prevalence ratio reported varying ratios in the different geographic locales studied, the prevalence rate among military dependents is different and higher. According to numbers released recently by the Department of Defense (DoD) in response to a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act in June 2008, there are 13,243 active duty family members and an additional 8,784 dependents of retired service members with diagnoses on the autism spectrum.

The numbers provided in response to the FOIA request and the total number of military dependent children, 1,177,190 according to the latest DoD study (2005), result in a 1:88 prevalence ratio among children of active duty military service members. When one considers that the numbers cited tilt heavily toward service members in the more junior ranks and the youngest parents, i.e. the ones even less capable of bearing any extra burden financially, the implications for and potential impact on military healthcare are significant.