As many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism.

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17% per year. At these rates, it is estimated that the prevalence of autism could reach four million Americans in the next decade.

The United States spends $90 billion per year to provide care for the country's 1.5 million autistic children and adults. The Autism Society of America estimates that costs could balloon to $200 billion to $400 billion by 2013.

Autism is now considered the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States.
Autism is more common than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or childhood cancer.

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development", including social interaction and communications skills.

Autism is a spectrum disorder.
The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe.

Autism is consistent around the globe, but is four times more prevalent in males than females.

Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.
Family income, lifestyle and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence.

The age that most children start showing symptoms of autism is between 18 and 24 months.

Since autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as 18 months of age, intervention can begin during the period when the brain is most malleable.

Early intervention can result in a significant increase in IQ and language ability and a decrease in support services needed later in childhood.

No one knows exactly what causes autism in most cases, but scientists think that both genetic and environmental factors might play a role.