WSJ: Autism therapy market booming – but billing chaos grows alongside it

New Jersey bank employee Carolina Lopez sought treatment for her 3-year-old autistic son Ezekiel but faced long waiting lists everywhere. A Wall Street Journal article highlights that the autism therapy business is on the rise, but families are increasingly burdened by unexpected costs.

New Jersey bank employee Carolina Lopez, 33, found herself in a difficult situation when she began seeking therapy for her 3-year-old son Ezekiel, who has autism. No matter where she turned, she encountered long waiting lists. "I felt quite helpless," Lopez admitted.

A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals that the autism therapy sector in the US has grown explosively in recent years. Demand for services far exceeds supply, creating fertile ground for commercial service providers – including large clinic chains backed by major investors.

Yet the article is critical: rapid growth has not only brought more treatment slots, but also a complex billing system that burdens families with unexpected and often disputed bills. Parents, already struggling to arrange care for their children, must now navigate confusing insurance and billing bureaucracy.

Experts warn that the sector's rapid commercialisation risks compromising treatment quality and pressuring service providers to prioritise volume growth over individual attention to each child. The number of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses in the US has risen in recent decades, reflected too in growing spending on corresponding treatments.