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Who Will Care for Children With Autism When They're Adults?
Yahoo News ^ | August 23 | Serena Gordon

Posted on 08/23/2013 4:37:36 PM PDT by Idaho_Cowboy

FRIDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The vast majority of youngsters with autism will grow up to be adults with autism.

An estimated one of every 88 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means that 45,000 to 50,000 kids with autism turn 18 each year, says autism researcher Paul Shattuck, from Washington University in St. Louis.

"This is an impending health care or community care crisis," said Dr. Joseph Cubells, director of medical and adult services at the Emory Autism Center at Emory University in Atlanta. "The services that are available vary from state to state, but often the resources just aren't there."

Public schools are required to provide services to people with an autism spectrum disorder until they reach age 22, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. After that, the responsibility shifts to the person with autism and family members to find educational or employment opportunities and appropriate living arrangements.

But experts note that a shortage of necessary programs for adults with autism already exists and is likely to worsen as the increasing number of children who are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders grow into adults.

(Excerpt) Read more at health.yahoo.net ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
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I realize this might be a valid question, but in light of Obama Care, I sense danger lurking.
1 posted on 08/23/2013 4:37:36 PM PDT by Idaho_Cowboy
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To: Idaho_Cowboy

Who’s been taking care of them before now?

Since they’ve always been around. We just haven’t noticed them?


2 posted on 08/23/2013 4:38:44 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

My question as well.

Could it be that autism is largely an invented illness?


3 posted on 08/23/2013 4:44:07 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Idaho_Cowboy

Have they really always been around (or in such numbers)?
It seems to me that both Alzheimers and Autism are problems that either did not exist 40 years on, or else were much rarer than today.

Maybe its something in the environment or food or?


4 posted on 08/23/2013 4:46:08 PM PDT by faithhopecharity (E)
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To: faithhopecharity

I think they just came up with new names for senility and being a little slow


5 posted on 08/23/2013 4:48:22 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom)
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To: faithhopecharity

I had plenty of kids with “autism” in my school 50 yrs ago. They were termed retarded or crazy but they certainly were around.


6 posted on 08/23/2013 4:48:45 PM PDT by nascarnation (Democrats control the Presidency, Senate, and Media. It's an uphill climb....)
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To: Black Agnes
Each family has its own challenges to deal with. Our family has an autistic child. We deal with it.

No need for the state to come in and try to "help".

There's some financial and legal support while they are young, but not much when they get older.

By "legal support" I mean certain accommodations that schools must make to adapt to autistic children.

It will be tough, but it's better that each family work this out on their own, with the help of families in similar situations, rather than through taxing others and forcing people into specific programs that by and large won't work.

7 posted on 08/23/2013 4:49:46 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: faithhopecharity
Oldtimers disease has been around as long as old people have and now that life expectancy is increasing more people live long enough to exhibit symptoms.

However, this article seems to say that autism of some kind affects 12% of kids? That does sound awfully high!

8 posted on 08/23/2013 4:50:11 PM PDT by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: Idaho_Cowboy

Most high functioning autistic and AS people can take care of themselves. The more severely affected sadly will wind up being housed in institutions.


9 posted on 08/23/2013 4:51:02 PM PDT by swamprebel (a Constitution once changed from Freedom, can never be restored.)
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To: BenLurkin

It’s hardly ‘invented’.

And it’s not just ‘bad parenting’ or kids who need to be spanked.

I had a great aunt who was ‘retarded’ in the vernacular of the 1940’s. She made eye contact, was verbal, social, affectionate. she was potty trained. She just had the abilities of a 5yr old.

Anyone who sees the head banging, drooling diaper wearing severe autistics would never confuse them with ‘retarded’ kids from the past.

We’ve got friends with a severely autistic son. He’s in diapers at the age of 15. He can also read anything you put in front of him and communicate via ipad. He’s never spoken a word. But he’s very very aware of what’s going on around him.

I don’t think that, at age 15, he’s wearing a diaper to get attention. I don’t think spanking him would serve to potty train him either.


10 posted on 08/23/2013 4:51:12 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: BenLurkin

The autustic kid I know has a very bad mental disorder that is quite different from being retarded, etc. It’s more like short circuts in the brain, fried wires trying to make connections...

I thought I had read that they don’t tend to live long into adulthood.


11 posted on 08/23/2013 4:51:53 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (....Let It Burn...)
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To: Idaho_Cowboy
I realize this might be a valid question, but in light of Obama Care, I sense danger lurking.

Danger? What a silly suggestion.You'll recall Osama Obama's prescription for that 95 year old woman whose doctor recommended a cardiac pacemaker...a pain pill.Pepto Bismol should solve this problem nicely.For we members of the Great Unwashed,that is.

12 posted on 08/23/2013 4:53:41 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (If Obama Had A City It Would Look Like Detroit)
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To: Idaho_Cowboy

Heck, they will probably make great politicians. Certainly much better than the current crop.


13 posted on 08/23/2013 4:54:08 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: swamprebel

I don’t think their is really an increase in the people affected with Autism, it’s a spectral disease. I just think we now recognize that people with a “flat affect”, or lack of emotion are on the spectral line.


14 posted on 08/23/2013 4:56:08 PM PDT by swamprebel (a Constitution once changed from Freedom, can never be restored.)
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To: BenLurkin

Not every retarded or autistic child is fake. Maybe you should go back to lurkin and not postin.


15 posted on 08/23/2013 4:56:56 PM PDT by Starstruck (If my reply offends, you probably don't understand sarcasm or criticism...or do.)
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To: Menehune56; nascarnation; al baby

Thanks for all the quick replies.
I agree partly.
It does seem like maybe the Authorities have come up with new names and applied them to a lot of folks who were always with us.
But, it still seems that there are many more cases of both conditions nowadays.
I could be wrong. But the autism thing seems to be far in excess of the number of “slow” kids back in my Paleolithic Age grammar school days. And, my Lord they’ve got zillions of people locked up or housed in special places (not to even mention all those at home) for “Alzheimers” -—

It just SEEMS that the number of cases of these conditions far exceed when I was young.


16 posted on 08/23/2013 4:57:24 PM PDT by faithhopecharity (E)
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To: Starstruck

That’s not what I said, sir.


17 posted on 08/23/2013 4:57:52 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: al baby

I think that’s largely it.


18 posted on 08/23/2013 4:59:28 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Idaho_Cowboy
this is an impending health care or community care crisis

Back when Obamacare was being discussed, on CSPAN there were some hearings about the bill. What they were discussing was covering autism...physical, psychological, medical, extra care, you name it.

Obamcare forces all US citizens to share in the expense of caring for autistics, Down's Syndrome, severe handicapped, bipolar. They're all "pre-existing conditions" so they'll just take what it costs out of everyone's paychecks, in the name of health insurance.

I thought everyone knew that.

19 posted on 08/23/2013 4:59:55 PM PDT by grania
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To: faithhopecharity

I may be cynical but the whole “special education” crew has become a self-sustaining economic force.


20 posted on 08/23/2013 5:00:55 PM PDT by nascarnation (Democrats control the Presidency, Senate, and Media. It's an uphill climb....)
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