The number of adults with autism receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits has risen steadily in recent years, according to a recent new study published in Psychiatric Services. The study found that between 2005 and 2015, the number of adults with autism receiving SSI increased by nearly three-fold, significantly greater than the increase in SSI recipients with intellectual disability and other mental disorders.

This increase mirrors the growing number of children with autism reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of children aged 3 to 17 with autism increased from one in 150 in 2000 to one in 54 in 2016. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and is more than four times more common among boys than among girls.

The number of participants with ASD in other public programs has also increased, including special education, vocational rehabilitation, state developmental disability services, and Medicaid.

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For the SSI recipient study, the authors examined Social Security program data from 2005 to 2015. To qualify for SSI, working-age adults (age 18 to 64 years) must meet specific income, asset, and medical eligibility criteria (a physical or mental impairment that severely limits their ability to engage in substantial gainful activity). There are 11 categories of mental disorders under which a person can qualify for SSI benefits, including schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disorder and others. ASD was added in 2001.

The study found that in 2015 more than 158,000 adults with ASD received SSI benefits, up from about 37,000 in 2005, an increase of more than 300% over the 10-year period. Over the same time, the overall number of people with mental disorder receiving SSI increased by only 13%.

The study also found that changes in the labor market influence enrollment in SSI among adults with autism. The greatest growth in SSI recipients with autism occurred during the Great Recession (between 2005 and 2009). The authors note that their study results help build an understanding of the needs of adults with autism and can support development of effective services and supports.

What these numbers don’t tell is how many adults with autism are working and earning enough so they are not be eligible for SSI, are not eligible for SSI based on their disability, or have not applied for these benefits. Other reports indicate that many adults with autism, like many other individuals with developmental or other disabilities, are unemployed or are underemployed. Often, the supports needed to allow individuals to work are not available. However, many organizations are stepping up to develop programs to support employment for people with autism (read more in Life after School and Project Search).