In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the prevalence of autism in the United States. This surveillance study identified 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD).* One of the first families in my life to deal with severe ASD and a host of other rare and challenging diseases are the Hurleys.