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The National Autistic Society suggests that autistic spectrum disorder touched the lives of some 500,000 families in the UK. However the true picture is unclear but recent studies both here and in the United States suggests a dramatic increase which is likely to be as high as one in 100 of the population. The cost of a lifetime of care could be as much as £3 million pounds per person according to recent research commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation. The annual total cost of autism in the UK is at least £1 billion (for further details see links).
This in itself is a very strong argument for more resources to be directed to early childhood interventions.
It must also be recognised that autism does not just affect the child but the whole family, who are put under unbelievable stress and pressure.
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