Caring for a person with autism can be costly, and until now, the full extent of that cost had not been clearly quantified. Research into the topic has calculated that the lifetime cost for autism spectrum care ranges from $1.4 million for those without intellectual disabilities to $2.4 million for those with intellectual disabilities.

“These are on top of the costs to care for a typically developing individual,” said Michael Rosanoff, of Autism Speaks, an advocacy group that funds research for autism.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, breaks down the expenses and finds that they accrue from: lost wages of parents who must care for their children; lost wages for adults with autism spectrum diagnoses; and extra money needed for specialized child care, therapy and extracurricular activities, among other things.

Director of Research for the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, David Mandell, proposed four things that, if changed, would help reduce expenses for families caring for individuals with autism related developmental delays. Workplaces, for instance, need to adapt to provide greater support for parents who care for children with autism. “If we had more family-friendly workplace policies, we might see substantial change in the way families were able to manage the work-life balance when they had children with (all kinds of) disabilities,” Mandell said.

Additionally, more jobs must be available for adults with autism. Mandell called for “more creative thinking” when it comes to providing jobs that both suit the needs of those with autism, and allow them to support themselves while participating in society as a whole.

Adult residential care needs to be specialized for those in need. Social and community support needs to be more readily available to ensure that fewer people require full-time residential care.

Approaches to care and employment need to incorporate the long-term benefits of equipping as many people with autism as possible to lead fuller, less costly lives. Investing in the care and treatment of children will save money as they age; and allow them more opportunities in society by reducing their disabilities in ways that allow them to sustain employment.