What do families need to put their minds at ease in living with autism?

That's what Easter Seals wanted to find out. So this summer, thanks to the generous support of MassMutual Financial Group, they worked in cooperation with the Autism Society of America to conduct the Easter Seals Living with Autism Study.

Autism now affects more than 1.5 million Americans and their families -- yet services and support for people living with autism are few and far between.
Easter Seals surveyed over 2,500 parents of children who have autism and parents of typically developing children about daily life, relationships, independence, education, housing, employment, finances and healthcare.

The study results paint a startling picture of the life-long fears, anxieties and critical supports needed to raise a child with autism. Many parents of children with autism worry that their child won’t fit into society:

1. Nearly 80% are extremely or very concerned about their child’s independence as an adult.
2. Only 14% feel that their child will be able to make life decisions.
3. Only 17% think their child will make friends.
4. They report that they’re “financially drowning,” with concerns for their child’s financial future surpassing the worries of parents with typically developing children.

Easter Seals will use these findings to raise awareness of and advocate for the life-long services families living with autism desperately need.

Click here to download the Living with Autism Study and findings today!