Autism numbers in the U.S. are on the upswing, with 1 in 31 8-year-olds (3.2%) diagnosed in 2022. In 2000, the ratio was 1 in 150.

These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted,