ASD often negatively influences educational and social attainments as well as employment opportunities. Such impacts can be expressed as economic costs; the financial impact of a child with ASD is estimated at £6,450 p.a. in Malaysia, increasing substantially towards adulthood. This project has the potential to create significant impact as there is overwhelming evidence that providing an early ASD diagnosis can result in improvements in the developmental processes and quality of life for people with autism.
Early ASD diagnosis will result in children getting timely treatment enabling appropriate management of, and necessary life adjustments, as well as enabling strategies for communication, social and behavioural development. Ultimately this will increase societal acceptance of those with ASD and lead to welfare improvement. Treatment of ASD can lead to management of the condition, correct educational pathways, entry into the workforce and reduction of poverty. This impacts two significant areas. Firstly, there is less financial pressure on governments if children are in mainstream education rather than special units, and additionally good education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty.
This project has the potential to have global impact beyond Malaysia. In the UK the costs of supporting children with ASDs were estimated at £2.7 Billion p.a. in 2009 when the Autism Act was first introduced. Costs in the USA can soar to $262 Billion p.a.. Addressing this issue early, and providing the necessary support to enable ASD sufferers obtain specialised education and join the workforce, reducing these costs significantly.