A Wider Spectrum
of Care

In 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began monitoring autism prevalence, raising public awareness of its increasing diagnosis rates. Six years later, the United Nations declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day, further elevating the conversation around autism. 

As prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) grew, so did awareness and acceptance. In 2000, the ASD rate among children was 1 in 150; by 2016, it had increased to 1 in 54 children. Data from 2023 shows a rate of 1 in 36 children. Approximately 1.5% of all U.S. adults (4.8 million) are believed to have ASD. 

EMBRACING NEURODIVERSITY

In recent years, there has been a notable shift from viewing autism as a disorder to be “fixed” toward embracing it as a natural part of human neurodiversity. This change is reflected in language use, media representation, educational approaches and workplace policies. In fact, major companies such as Microsoft and Google have neurodiversity hiring initiatives. 

Yet for all of the remarkable progress that the autism community has made in advocating for autistic individuals and in fostering autism acceptance, many parents face substantial challenges both at home and in educating their autistic children and adolescents.

A SPECIAL PLACE

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism is dedicated to autism treatment, education and research, and provides evaluations for children who may to have ASD. The center offers treatments using applied behavior analysis (ABA), which aims to improve social, communication, and daily living skills while reducing challenging behaviors. Parent training and home visits are also integral components of the work done by the center. 

Young people with ASD may receive intensive educational programming at the Lerner School for Autism, which serves students from the earliest diagnosis through age 21. There, students benefit from licensed special educators, behavior analysts, speech/language pathologists and classroom behavior therapists who have deep ABA training and experience. Scholarships for students in need and other programs are supported by philanthropy. 

“What makes the Lerner School unique is that it’s based on the science of ABA and thus empirically based,” says Cynthia Johnson, PhD, Director of the Center for Autism. “Further, being part of Cleveland Clinic Children’s allows easy access to the multidisciplinary pediatric care that these children often need.” 

The Lerner School’s early childhood program is a full-day, year-round, center-based behavioral service for children ages 1-6, with instruction focused on skill development across language and communication, socialization, play and adaptive behaviors. 

The school-age program is also full-day and year-round, with instruction focused on communication, socialization, academics, adaptive behavior, vocational preparation and transitional services. At age 22, students transition to adult services. 

MITIGATING CHALLENGES

The Autism Center has a prolific clinical research program that engages in vital and often impactful studies to improve the understanding, education and treatment of individuals with ASD. For example, Dr. Johnson recently led a collaborative study aimed at addressing the fact that nearly 80% of children with ASD experience sleep disturbances, which exacerbate already delayed social interactions, repetitive behaviors, inattention, hyperactivity and irritability. 

“We’re conducting relevant clinical research to remain state-of-the-science with respect to our care,” Dr. Johnson says. “This enables us to develop the most innovative, evidence-based intervention approaches for children with ASD. Through this combination of research, data-driven practices and compassionate care, we’re helping each person with ASD reach their fullest potential.” ◼