National and State Trends in autistic Adult Supplemental Security Income Awardees: 2005-2019

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a crucial program for adults with disabilities.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition affecting adults.
• Understanding trends in disability program participation is vital for public policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze national and state-level changes in new adult SSI awardees with ASD.
• To compare ASD award trends with those for intellectual disability and other mental health disorders.
• To identify demographic patterns, specifically age, in adult ASD SSI awards.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Social Security Administration program data spanning 2005 to 2019.
• Examined trends in new adult SSI awardees, categorizing by diagnosis (ASD, intellectual disability, other mental health disorders).
• Analyzed data for national, state-level, and age-specific variations.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in new adult SSI awards for ASD was observed between 2005 and 2019.
• Concurrently, awards for other mental health disorders within the SSI program showed a decline.
• Approximately 90% of adult SSI awardees with ASD were aged 18-25 years.
• Geographic variations in the growth of ASD-related SSI awards across different states were identified.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight a growing reliance on SSI among autistic adults, particularly young adults.
• Significant state-level disparities in SSI award growth for autistic adults warrant further investigation.
• Future research should explore the underlying causes for these age and geographic variations in SSI participation.