As autism cases rise in Pennsylvania, so do costs

From WTAE-TV:

PITTSBURGH -- Some 25,000 people in Pennsylvania have an autism diagnosis. As WTAE-TV continues its look at autism, on Wednesday, Channel 4 Action News anchor Michelle Wright focused on how much money the state is dedicating to helping those individuals.

Wright reported that the cost for each person with autism is $3.2 million over a lifetime. Research has proven that the earlier the treatment starts, the better the result. But the treatment can be expensive and overwhelming.

The parents of Matthew Wallace said the 17-year-old with autism needs constant care.

"Oftentimes, it's relaxing for me to go to work. Home is demanding," said Matthew's father, Mark Wallace.

Matthew's mother agrees, saying home is physically demanding, emotionally exhausting and overwhelmingly expensive.

"It never ends. It's a 24-7 job and it really is something because he requires a lot of care. A lot of care," said Barbara Wallace.

Adam Seiff needs less care. As someone with high functioning Asperger's syndrome, Seiff is in a regular classroom. But the 11-year-old still needs services.

"I get upset if things aren't right … I get very frustrated and start to cry," Seiff said.

Services help people like Seiff deal with the things in life that trigger problems.

But those services cost money.

When it comes to cash, Wright reported Gov. Ed Rendell said that Pennsylvania is ahead of other states. In his term as governor, the commonwealth went from zero funding for autism to spending $20 million.

He said that funding will actually save taxpayers money in the long run.

"If we get a 2-year-old and are able to diagnose with autism, studies have shown we can avoid $1.9 million by doing that early diagnosis," Rendell said.

The governor's assertion is backed up by research being done here in Pittsburgh.

"Even though many children with autism aren't going to be cured, if at least we start early, engaging them in social interaction and communication and trying to build in language skills and play skills, that their symptoms will be less severe," said Susan Campbell, the director of a developmental psychology program.

While services fight for more funding, researchers are studying new ways to help those like Seiff handle social situations better.

Take, for instance, his conversation when he went to a cookout at Ben Roethlisberger's house.

"He'll walk right up to him and just start asking him about the window in the top of his house. All the other kids are kind staring going, 'Ahhhh! It's Ben Roethlisberger!' My kid will walk right up to him (and say),' Hey, how do you clean those windows up there?' And Ben's like, 'Yeah, I don't do it. Somebody else does it,'" said Sue Seiff, Adam's mother.

"I'm just not that into football," Adam Seiff said.

Research being done in Pittsburgh might help Adam Seiff learn to relate to people better. UPMC demonstrated a device which tracks eye movement. The red dots show where eyes are focusing while the subject is working to understand a person's emotion.

A person with autism often doesn't know where to look and gets confused in social situations.

"So, their actual way of gathering information on things we don't even think about, about how we tell emotions is different," said Dr. Mark Strauss of UPMC.

Strauss and other researchers are finding ways to teach that skill because communication is vital for those with high-functioning Asperger's syndrome to hold a job, become independent and wean off government assistance.

Viewers have been asking Wright about the subject of early diagnosis and what an early diagnosis means for a child going through school. The diagnosis is confidential and the school is not permitted to share that information with others, Wright reported.

However, early diagnosis is important to improve treatment outcomes. Doctors said the longer you wait, the harder it is to correct some of the problems of autism.