What does 1 in 88 mean?

By now, everyone in the Autism community has heard about the new numbers from the CDC – 1 in 88 kids are being diagnosed with Autism. But what does it mean? Unfortunately, it means that the demand for ABPathfinder’s services will only continue to grow.  

From a numbers standpoint, it means that 48,000 kids will be diagnosed with Autism this year in the US alone, an increase of 5,000 kids per year since 2009. In other words, between the ages of 2 and 7 there are approximately 280,000 kids in the US on the spectrum.

As a result, the stresses on Autism therapists of all kinds (BCBAs, SLPs, etc) are mounting. Demand for services continues to grow, and the old paper-based planning and assessment methods are limiting therapists’ ability to meet those demands. So, kids that either can’t find or can’t afford targeted therapy services are placed into the public school system, creating a whole new set of challenges for the schools and kids alike.

The problem isn’t going away, but there are people trying to help. Within the last week, Harvard researchers released the results of a trial where they used software to reduce the diagnosis time from hours to minutes. Assistive technology delivered on iPads or other devices continues to help kids find their voice.

For our part, ABPathfinder has developed software that assists you in building and implementing individualized therapy programs using your own therapy protocols. Our initial customers are seeing their administrative time reduced by up to 50%, allowing them to reduce unbillable hours, take on more kids, and more. What would you do with the extra time?

Here’s what I ask of you: be open to learning more about the tools that are available. Take the time to seek out things that can make your practice more efficient and effective. As Autism continues to grow, the need for your services will grow, too. How many more kids can you help?