Are public schools paying heavily for the increase in diagnosis for children with autism since 2000? The Havard school of Public health say they are.
In an article featured in The Chat this week they say the cost on the education system of having far more children who are classified as having special needs totals around $17,000 per child until they have reached the age of 17.
According to the study itself, conducted by the university and published in the Journal of Pediatrics on February 10, there is more pressure than ever for state funded schools to “find” this excess cash flow and concludes:
“The economic burden associated with ASD is substantial and can be measured across multiple sectors of our society. Previous analyses that focused on health care underestimated this economic burden, particularly for school systems.”