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Sharpe says it is important to begin financial planning as soon as a diagnosis is made. She suggests financial planners need to help direct families to available resources and help them think seriously about the implications of spending all their retirement money on various therapies or having one parent step out of the job force to care for a child when other options could be available.

"Autism has a startlingly huge impact on society," Sharpe said. "We know early intervention can influence how well a child will do later in life. It's a human capital investment that can prevent or reduce the need for public support when a child with autism becomes an adult. However, it is costly to obtain this intervention."

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