Parents across Long Island are struggling to find adult support programs for one of the fastest growing childhood afflictions in the nation.

The U.S. Department of Education says there has been a 900 percent increase in autism over the past 10 years, and that one out of every 166 babies is stricken with the disability. Sea Cliff resident Marian Boehm says her 20-year-old son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism at age four. She says he has received excellent care and specialized treatment at the Genesis School in Plainview, but adds there is no law that requires agencies to provide services to autistic adults.

Experts say adult programs are tough to come by and many parents simply take what they can get. Genesis School Executive Director Joanna Gerenser says the wrong program and the wrong support system could set a patient back 20 years.

Related Information: The Cody Center - (631) 632-3070 Young Autism Program - (631) 205-1750 or (631) 580-4000 Autism Today Autism Society of America Cure Autism Now