According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate at which children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder has risen to one in 36 children.
That number is based on 2020 data. It's up from one in 44 in 2018, and one in 101 in 2015.
The increasing rate has driven a growing demand for education, therapy and other services for neurodivergent kids and their families — and their support networks.
David Brown and Anjali Van Drie, co-founders of the nonprofit Family Initiative, discuss the issue in this interview with WGCU's "Gulf Coast Life" program.
Both have backgrounds in social work, and it was through that work that they decided to step into what they saw as some gaps in coverage when it came to ways to support kids and young adults on the spectrum, and that led to starting Family Initiative in 2015.
Now, they provide a broad spectrum of support services for neurodivergent kids and their families through their Cape Coral headquarters as well as other Florida locations.
Click here for information about Family Initiative's programs and here to learn about its free autism screening sessions.
