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Facts about Developmental Disabilities

Autism (from www.autismspeaks.org)
• 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Cerebral Palsy – CP (from www.nichcy.org – The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities)
• Each year 8,000 infants and nearly 1,500 preschool age children are diagnosed with CP
• Children younger than 3 years old can benefit greatly from early intervention services
• Though there is no cure, new medical treatments are being developed all the time and lessen the effects of CP

Down Syndrome (from www.nichcy.org)
• Down syndrome is the most common and readily identifiable chromosomal condition associated with intellectual disability
• 1 in 800 - 1,000 or approximately 4,000 children are born in the U.S. each year with Down syndrome
• Although parents of any age may have a child with Down syndrome, the incidence is higher for women over 35

Sensory Processing Disorder (from www.spdfoundation.net)
• Formerly known as “sensory integration disorder or SI)
• 1 in every 20 children experience symptoms of SPD that interfere with the ability to participate in everyday life

Speech and Language Impairments (from www.nichcy.org)
• More than 1.4 million students served in public school special education programs in 2002-2003 school year were categorized as having a speech or language impairment
• Communication disorders affect 1 in 10 people in the U.S.

Learning Disability (from www.nichcy.org)
• 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has a learning disability
• Almost 3 million children ages 3 – 21 have some form of a learning disability and receive special education in school

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (from www.nichcy.org)
• 5 out of 100 children in school are estimated to have AD/HD.
• Boys are three times more likely than girls to have AD/HD