¿IS IT POSSIBLE TO CALCULATE THE EMOTIONAL COST OF AUTISM AS EASILY AS AN ECONOMIC COST? (2)

¿Is it possible to calculate the emotional cost of autism as easily as an economic cost? It is complicated to measure the emotional consequences that autism causes in parents, family and friends. Is it possible to put a price in not being able to communicate with your little ones, to not be able to be a part of their world, to change our understanding of their future? Can it be measured in sleepless nights, tears and arguments with those who do not understand their situation? On the other hand, it is easier to calculate the economic impact of having an autistic child. A recent study has put a price to the attention that they need by establishing two different costs depending on whether of not the child also has a mental disability and includes a geographical factor that can serve as small comparison.  The Perelman Medical School in Penn State University and the Philadelphia Children’s hospital show an economic cost of 2.4 million dollars for an autistic person with intellectual disabilities during his whole life. The U.K. shows a cost of 2.2 million dollars. If the autistic patient does not have intellectual disabilities, the cost in both countries is of 1.4 million dollars. This calculation has been made according to certain factors such as the parent’s productivity loss, health services, special education and more striking numbers have also been searched by multiplying the total of people with ASD in these countries and assuming that 40% of them have a mental disability. The result is estimation of 61.000 million dollars per year in the U.S. and 4.500 million dollars in the U.K. The objective of the people responsible for this report is to put in evidence that the government organizations have to assign better resources and take into account certain issues such as salary loss in parents that spend their time taking care of their children or the fact that most autistic adults have difficulties in finding a job. All of these have an economic value that can be easily measured and calculated. But you cannot put a price to feelings and emotions that autism awakens in those close by. It is not necessary to buy them with money to notice that you also need to deal with the surroundings of a patient that has ASD, meaning not only to the child but also to the parents that look for support in order to be more emotionally strong.