New Figures Show Autism Costs The UK £28 Billion A Year

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 19 Nov 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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According to new research commissioned by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, the annual cost of autism to the UK is just under £28 billion.

The findings, detailed in the Economic Consequences of Autism in the UK report, reveals that children with autism cost £2.7 billion a year, yet for adults the figure is £25 billion - more than eight times as much. There are approximately 540,000 people with autism in the UK - 433,000 adults and 107,000 children.

Funded by the Shirley Foundation and led by Professor Martin Knapp at the London School of Economics and King's College London, the research shows that for adults with autism the highest costs are those generated by health and social care provision (59%), followed by lost employment (36%) and family expenses (5%).

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, said:

"These figures illustrate the real cost of autism and give serious weight to the argument that more resources are needed to intervene early and effectively in the lives of those who are affected by the condition. Early intervention would help individuals with autism and their families experience a better quality of life and reduce the high costs incurred in later years, saving public money.

Children and adolescents with autism often receive adequate support up until school leaving age but are then left stranded with little hope of a meaningful future because they are given little support to enter further education or employment."

The report says that more supported employment opportunities for people with autism are needed. Professor Martin Knapp from the London School of Economics, who led the research, said:

"Lost productivity for people with autism and their families costs the UK economy almost £10 billion. At a time when the government is emphasising the need for higher rates of economic activity, and is trying to support people with disabilities and long-term conditions to move into paid employment, these high costs stand out. Very few people with autism are in employment - it will be no easy task to achieve higher employment rates among this group but the figures suggest that the government should most definitely try."

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which affects people's ability to communicate, form relationships and interact socially. Hilary Gilfoy, UK Chief Executive of research charity Autism Speaks, said:

"We now know what autism costs us but we still do not know what causes it or how best to intervene. These huge costs dwarf the tiny amount we spend on autism research, which must rise if we are to reduce the social as well as economic impact of this isolating and disabling condition."

The research also estimates the lifetime cost to society for someone with autism to be as much as £4.7 million per person. The report's findings are being presented to MPs in parliament today. The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities is calling for a national strategy on autism to support affected individuals and their families, for more research into its causes, and improvements in service provision and employment opportunities.

The report is available to download from http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk.

Notes:

A reception to launch the report, hosted by Jim Dowd MP, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism Speaks, will take place at the House of Commons from 4pm - 6pm on 19 November 2007.

The Economic Consequences of Autism in the UK report was commissioned by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. Funded by the Shirley Foundation, the research was carried out by Martin Knapp, Renée Romeo and Jennifer Beecham of the King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry.

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities promotes the rights, quality of life and opportunities of people with learning disabilities and their families.

Autism Speaks raises funds to accelerate biomedical research to determine and understand the causes and biological basis of autism spectrum disorders, and through that understanding to discover and promote new ways of improving the quality of life of all those affected.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

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