1990 1 in 2,000
2000 1 in 500
2004 1 in 166
2007 1 in 150
2010 1 in 110

• Using the new autism prevalence of 1 in 110 children,among the estimated 4 million births in the U.S. each year, approximately 36,500 children will eventually develop an autism spectrum disorder.
• Since there are 525,600 minutes per year (365 x 24 x60), that means that a child is diagnosed less than every 15 minutes (14.45 minutes to be exact).
• Today alone, roughly 110 families will hear the words “your child has autism.” 70 of those children will be boys.

This Group is for Parents, grandparents and gardians of children with autism that are a part of the LUCAS Network in SC to communicate concerning issues such as school IEP's, ABA programs and medical issues. Although this website is designed to give parents more freedom to talk amongst themselves, it is recommended that names of Doctors, Providers, and School District personel be left out of the conversation as nothing prevents this information from getting back to those individuals via your message being shared outside of this network. You can still communicate and exchange ideas freely.

The L.U.C.A.S. Network (Loving Unconditionally Children with Autism Support Network) was created in 2007 by Derrick and Sandrine Howle in honor of our son, Lucas, who has autism. We developed this network after the successful passage of Ryan’s Law in June of 2007. We feel compelled to share our story and experiences with Lucas’ battle with autism with other families and having other families share their stories as well in hope of making a difference in the lives of families struggling with this disorder and of making the journey down the path of autism a little easier.