- Barbara Barrett 1
- Sarah Byford 1
- Jessica Sharac 1
- Kristelle Hudry 2,3
- Kathy Leadbitter 4
- Kathryn Temple 5
- Catherine Aldred 6
- Vicky Slonims 7
- Jonathan Green 4
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK
- Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Research in Autism and Education, Institute of Education, London, UK
- University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Stockport Primary Care Trust, Stockport, UK
- Guy’s and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with a substantial economic burden, but there is little evidence of the costs in the early years; the period in which children are increasingly likely to be diagnosed. We describe the services used by 152 children aged 24–60 months with autism, report family out-of-pocket expenses and productivity losses, and explore the relationship between family characteristics and costs. Children received a wide range of hospital and community services including relatively high levels of contact with speech and language therapists and paediatricians. Total service costs varied greatly (mean £430 per month; range £53 to £1,116), with some families receiving little statutory support. Higher costs were associated with increasing age and symptom severity.