New ASD Research, Point Out The Role of Disability Tax Credit
Scientists now believe they have discovered a link between birth intervals and the chance of one child developing ASD. It’s both a fascinating and potentially disturbing result if confirmed, one with far reaching implications both personal and societal. Time.com picks up the story in a recent article:
In the latest study from scientists at a Kaiser Permanente group in California, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics that the time between the birth of one child and the conception of the next may affect the second child’s risk of developing autism.
Two previous studies had found that either having kids closer together or widely spaced apart was associated with a 50% to two-fold increased risk of autism compared to children conceived 12 to 60 or 80 months after the birth of an older sibling. But it wasn’t clear whether the association was more driven by the spacing or by other factors, like the mother’s weight or whether the second baby was born preterm.
That caveat at the end of the second paragraph serves as a reminder that initial study results should always be cautiously accepted and rigorously verified. Still, the results have sent shock waves through a culture where more women are waiting until later in life to have children and many are spacing the births of their children in order to accommodate career and other needs as well.
The study also comes at a time when governments in many developed countries, including Canada, are trying to figure out how to handle skyrocketing rates of autism among young people and the burden these increasing numbers will place on expensive social services. Everyone from the CDC in Atlanta to the Calgary School of Public Policy has issued dire warnings about the implications of the increasing prevalence of ASD and now maybe, maybe, we have at least a partial explanation for those increasing rates.
“Autism is a global public health crisis. The costs are staggering and will continue to rise as prevalence continues to increase.” So says Bob Wright, Autism Speaks co-founder in a recent story on their website. Dealing with those costs presents a major challenge both to families and governments and so trying to get a grip on what may be causing the spike in ASD cases is crucial.
The Disability Tax Credit: An Old Solution to a New Problem?
Some years back the government of Canada initiated a tax relief program called the Disability Tax Credit with an eye on helping, in a cost effective way, individuals and families afflicted with disabilities mitigate the extraordinary medical expenses many of them faced. The program turned out to be a major success and, as a result, is having the unintended effect of presenting itself today as one of the government’s most reasonable and efficient ways to stave off a fiscal meltdown as thousands of new ASD cases come to the fore in the near future.
The Disability Tax Credit is the type of common-sense solution that is desperately needed because if parents can no longer afford to care for their children with ASD the state will invariably wind up picking up the tab. And that tab is considerable. Autism Speaks estimates behavioral therapy alone can run $60,000 a year.
Under the Disability Tax Credit Families with autistic children are eligible for up to $40,000 in annual relief from the government and can claim retroactive benefits for as many as 10 years. This type of relief can make a significant difference in a family’s ability to care for their child with ASD and at the same time shield the government from even greater costs.
Make the Most of the Disability Tax Credit: Contact Disability Credit Canada
The Disability Tax Credit then is a classic win-win program, but you need to be able to navigate some formidable red tape to take advantage of it. Fortunately Disability Credit Canada is here to help you get hold of the application and approval process and make it work for you. Our team has years of experience shepherding all types of claims through to approval. There’s nothing we haven’t seen. No condition we can’t effectively represent. So give us a call today at 1-855-765-4458 and find out what scores of other Canadian families already know: Disability Credit Canada works! You can also read our extensive guide on Child Disability Tax Credit Benefits to find out more.