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March 19th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) — Mothers of children with
autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what
mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has
found.
These moms even earn less than mothers of children with other health
limitations.
Mothers of children with autism earned, on average, less than $21,000 a
year, the researchers found. That was 56 percent less than mothers whose
children had no health limitations and 35 percent less than mothers whose
children had other health limitations.
In addition, moms who have children with autism are 6 percent less
likely to be employed, and work an average of seven hours less per week
than mothers of children with no health limitations, the study found.
While the researchers did not find differences in fathers’ incomes, the
overall income in families that have children with autism suffers, said
lead researcher David Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism
Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and associate director
of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the
University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
“Families of children with autism experience a 28 percent reduction in
income compared to families with typically developing children,” he said.
The family incomes of parents whose children have autism is also less, 21
percent, than those whose children have other health limitations, Mandell
found.
The study is published online March 19 and in the April print issue of
Pediatrics.
For the study, Mandell and his colleagues looked at data from the
2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. This ongoing survey of U.S.
households collects detailed information on medical conditions, health
services use and expenditure, and other data.
The researchers looked at 261 children with autism spectrum disorders,
nearly 3,000 with other health limitations and more than 64,000 with no
health limitations.
About 67 percent of the children with autism had mothers who worked
outside the home. About 92 percent of the kids with autism had working
fathers.
Autism spectrum disorders now affect about one in 110 children in the
United States. The spectrum includes a range of neurodevelopmental
disorders, all marked by difficulties in social and communication skills
and repetitive behaviors.
A mother may cut back work hours or drop out of the workforce to help
supervise their child’s care, including advocating for services, according
to the researchers.
The costs of caring for children with other disabilities is about 5
percent to 12 percent of family income, the researchers noted, citing
other research.
The researchers didn’t have information on how severe the autism was in
each case, so Mandell couldn’t say if costs are more or go up if the
autism is more severe.
The findings don’t surprise Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental
and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven Alexandra Cohen Children’s
Medical Center of New York.
“Basically, autism is taking a double toll,” he said. Besides the
increased costs for health care and other services, the reduced earnings
also have an impact, Adesman pointed out.
Parents can and should reach out for help, the experts stressed.
“Take advantage of services available,” Adesman said.
For example, Mandell noted, a parent group in Philadelphia will send
someone knowledgeable to go with a parent of a child with autism to the
school meeting to develop the educational plan.
Peter Bell, executive vice president for services and programs for
Autism Speaks, an advocacy group, said the task of caring for a child with
autism can be daunting.
“The study isn’t surprising for families who live with autism every
day,” he said. “When their child is diagnosed with autism, it is a game
changer.”
More information
To learn more about autism spectrum disorders, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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