What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism

The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist

Baltimore: General enrollment "shrinking"; more kids, more complex needs in special ed

The end of childhood
25 minutes ago
1 min read

Jan 19, 2026, The Baltimore Banner: Maryland is rethinking how it pays for special education — and it could cost a lot more

https://www.thebanner.com/education/k-12-schools/special-education-spending-3JUHFBMCYJEYZH5NOYJR5QXV4M/

. . . While they wait for answers, district leaders are trying to meet students’ needs as they stare down a tight budget season.

In Montgomery County, enrollment is shrinking, which translates into less money from the state. The number of kids requiring special education services—and the complexity of those kids’ needs—is an increasingly large chunk of the district’s population.