Following Kanner’s first descriptions of autistic behaviour in 1943, every type of known method of treatment within psychiatry and psychology has been applied for children with autism. This includes medication, electro-shock therapy, intense psycho-analysis of the parents as well as the children, various forms of special education and behaviour therapy treatment.
However generally speaking, results of these types of treatment have been sub satisfactory. Considered a lifelong affliction, greater than 60% of people diagnosed with infantile autism are dependent on support 24 hours a day, throughout their lives. Furthermore, 50% of children with autism never learn to master verbal communication.
The mean cost for care of an autistic individual is estimated to accumulate to $ 4.5 million until the person reaches 55 years of age. Furthermore, in the United Kingdom alone it has been estimated that autism treatment annually costs the society £ 975 Million, and in the USA the annual cost of Autism is considered to be 43 billion $.
The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the population is increasing, and the Center for Disease Control in the USA (http://www.cdc.gov/) has declared autism spectrum disorders rising in epidemic proportions, with prevalence of 1/166. In UK the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders has been shown to be above 1%.
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