I remember my Mom saying from time to time, “These crazy kids are driving me nuts!” and then she would take time out from raising us and have some quiet time with a soothing cup of tea. Now Moms want and are getting compensation for having their crazy kids. Kids used to finally settle down and mature into perfect specimens of the highest form of life here on earth. Right? At any rate, no one thought then to claim disability for their kids unless they were borderline disabled to be institutionalized. I guess a soothing cup of tea isn’t enough compensation for any frazzled Mom these days.

A recent study reported that 6 Million kids currently have a disability. Parent reported cases of disability in children are on the rise.  More      parents, especially upper income ones are reporting that their children have a physical, developmental or mental health disability. The number of non-institutionalized children aged 17 and younger with disabilities   rose 16% between 2001 and 2011, with nearly 6 Million children which is 8% of the population reported as having a disability according to a publication called Pediatrics.

Disability due   to   any physical condition such as asthma and breathing conditions, hearing problems and bone or joint problems, declined by 12% during this decade, while cases  related to any Nero developmental or mental health condition, such as attention deficit  hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities or emotional  problems, increased by 21 %.  I know that the area of special education has exploded since the 1980’s in our nation’s school systems.  Why are kids crazier now than ever before? Or re they just being diagnosed more these days?

Children living in the highest income household that is incomes greater than 400% above the Federal poverty level experienced the largest   increase that is 28% in disability over the decade. I believe that there are many children with disabilities in poor areas that just do not get reported to the authorities.  Autism was not one of the fourteen conditions of disability included in this study be close it was an established study long before autism was widely recognized.

According to the most recent CDC report, one in 68 kids has been identified with an autism disorder.  That is up from an estimated one in 88 in 2012 and really rose from one in 150 reported in 2007.Why such an increase in autism in America lately? We need to answer the main questions, the 5 w’ that is who, what , when, where and why to these recent activities and find a cure or even a reason.   This money doesn’t make living with these kids any easier.