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Autism Spectrum Disorders are disorders affecting the development of social and communication skills. It is estimated that in the United States, a form of autism occurs in 1 out of every 100 children. Children with autism have difficulty with language development and communication, interaction with others, and behavior.Autism Spectrum Disorders cover a wide array of severities, but all children with autism display characteristics of each symptom. Recent studies have noted a difference in diagnosis rates between socioeconomic classes with higher rates of diagnoses occurring in higher social economic classes. Are autismrates really higher in wealthier families or is something else going on?
Wealthier families tend to have better access to health care, and autism can be a difficult disorder to diagnose. Families with available money and insurance may be more likely to get their child's Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosed when compared to those families without access to health care and less financial resources. Studies have been performed that demonstrate many more children go undiagnosed at lower socioeconomic levels.
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n a study completed by the University of Wisconsin, researchers took eight year old children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and children not diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder from both high and low economic status and compared the rates of prevalence in each group. The study demonstrated that higher rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder affected children at higher economic levels even after factoring in better health care access. The study demonstrated a statistically significant rate between the two groups. In effect, even after the health care gap was accounted for, the wealthier children were more likely to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
