Comments on: Finances, Costs and Gains

By: Moi

Moi — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:59:57 +0000

All of this is such a big DUH. Like we didn’t know this? They wasted all that grant money “finding this out” when they could have spent it getting help for the kids, developing a school program, etc.

I hate when people use the autistic community to give themselves a job.

By: autismville

autismville — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:12:54 +0000

The Ganz study says $3.2 million, not $32 million.

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:46:00 +0000

Advocacy is needed now for housing and other supports for adults with autism.

Go Kristina!

By: Karin

Karin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:29:15 +0000

I think they’re off by a factor of 10…. saying an average of $40k/year, for 70 years, that’s 2.8 million, plus the miscellaneous medical. I’d buy 3.2 million, but 32 million would be almost $500k/year – no one can spend that much, with or without insurance.

By: Niksmom

Niksmom — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:19:33 +0000

I always get annoyed at those kinds of “scary” financial articles b/c they don’t usually include the average costs for children who are born prematurely or children who have cancer or…or… it’s always an incomplete and skewed accounting.

Nik’s care thus far in his five years of life has cost well over three million dollars; most of that was in the first year of life. None of that can be “blamed” on his autism. Yet, somehow, somewhere, I’m sure someone would find a way to do so to illustrate a flawed point.

ALL children cost money. Even for routine labor, delivery, well-child care, dental visits, the occasional tonsillectomy or broken bone…none of it is cheap these days.
I just chalk it up to the costs inherent in having a family. For me, the rewards far outweight the costs —both financially and emotionally.