Up to 11 Million Won a Month... The Reality of Autism Treatment Turning into Private Education

Autism spectrum disorder, characterized by restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and difficulties in social interaction, affects 1 in every 8-year-old children in the United States. Domestically, the number of registered individuals with autistic disabilities aged 19 and under has nearly tripled over the past 15 years. As awareness spreads that earlier detection and early intervention for autism spectrum disorder can alter a child's developmental trajectory, a growing number of parents are pouring efforts into rehabilitation therapy the younger their children are. The problem is that in South Korea, where national systems to aid early intervention are lacking, parents are left to fight a lonely battle on their own. Although regional base hospitals for developmental disabilities and behavioral development promotion centers have been established, people frequently have to wait years just to receive consultations and treatments. Ultimately, demand that public systems cannot absorb is flowing into private education centers, driving parents into the reality of wandering from one private therapy room to another—akin to hopping between multiple after-school academies once classes end. Jun-seo (alias), a 7-year-old diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The couple's schedule kicks off in earnest at 3 PM when Jun-seo finishes kindergarten. For rehabilitation training, visiting two or three places a day—including swimming and applied behavior analysis (ABA)—is the baseline. Because the schedule was overwhelming for the dual-income couple, the father temporarily quit his job to take care of the child. The issue is the cost of treatment. The couple stated that they spend up to 4 million won a month on treatment expenses. The monthly treatment cost for a full-day program at a center known to have the highest fees among domestic behavioral treatment facilities reached as high as 11 million won. In fact, when the production team surveyed 517 parents raising children with developmental disabilities, including autism, about 60% of respondents spent over 1 million won a month on treatment costs, and a substantial number of households spent more than 3 million won. However, the costs covered by government subsidies averaged only around 100,000 to 200,000 won per month. Unlike in South Korea, where people must directly search for and wander around therapy rooms, the state and local communities were taking the initiative in the United States and Japan. The production team visited the US and Japan firsthand to examine the daily lives of families raising autistic children. In the US, after an autism diagnosis, families were connected to necessary support, and through insurance and public assistance, they were able to receive various rehabilitation treatments such as behavioral therapy and speech therapy. In Japan as well, multiple specialists monitor a child's development starting from the infant and toddler checkup stage, connecting families in need with local related organizations. Treatment costs were also centered on public support, preventing situations where children could not receive treatment due to their family's economic circumstances. In both countries, unlike South Korea where individuals must fend for themselves after a diagnosis, the state and local communities jointly support the child's treatment and the family's daily life.

This week, SBS <News Story> examines the domestic reality of the "treatment war" that parents face following an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, and comparatively highlights the advanced support systems of the U.S. and Japan, where the state and local communities take full charge of treatment and care.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.