Children with these special needs make up a large portion of our population. In a 2007 study, the Centers for Disease Control found that about one in 150 eight-year-old children in the U.S. had an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – and other studies suggest the numbers are growing. Though many ASDs can be detected in babies as young as 18 months, symptoms are often overlooked. Research shows that early intervention can result in great strides in the development of a child with autism or other development disorders.

The CDC also estimates that 17 percent of children in the U.S. have some type of development or behavioral disability. Studies indicate that if left untreated, children with social, emotional and behavioral health issues are more likely to experience adolescent delinquency, gang involvement, incarceration, substance abuse, divorce, unemployment, and in fact, behavior problems that surface in early childhood are the single best predictor for several of these long-term outcomes (Center of Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behaviors, 2004).