Ricardo Dolmetsch, an associate professor of neurobiology at Stanford University, says his son's autism diagnosis has changed both his personal and professional life.

This work was made more difficult, Dolmetsch says, by the fact that caring for a child with a disability is a full-time job. Although his wife, neurobiologist Asha Nigh, supports his research, such as through managing projects and writing grant proposals, she has put her own scientific career on hold in order to care for their son and his brother, age 7. In his opinion, Dolmetsch says, his wife has earned an honorary doctorate "in getting insurance coverage for stuff."

"The finances of autism are brutal," Dolmetsch says. "The amount of continuous care these kids need is a lot. … The only thing that works at all are behavioral treatments," which, depending on the state and one's health plan, may not be covered by insurance, he says. "They're very intensive… and they're horrifyingly expensive."

Insurance companies MUST start paying for autism treatment.