The autism care economy is expanding across healthcare, technology, education, and behavioral services, prompting investors to examine the sector through a broader lens. On September 18, Kirsten Chang, senior industry analyst at VettaFi, and Brendan Cavanaugh, chief investment officer at Defiance ETFs, will discuss this opportunity during a free webinar titled: Investing in the Autism Care Economy: Inside the Defiance Autism Impact ETF (ASD).
Surging Demand for Services
CDC data shows that clinicians identified about 1 in 31 8-year-old children with autism. This growing need supports demand across a wide range of services. The ecosystem includes healthcare providers, behavioral services, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, specialized education, and assistive technologies.
For investors, the question is whether those developments add up to a broader thematic opportunity. Advances in the industry are creating new areas of activity, while demand for autism-related services could shape the companies operating across these industries. Chang and Cavanaugh will discuss how those trends are reshaping the autism care setting and what investors and advisors should consider when looking for exposure to companies operating across the theme.
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Fund Structure and Holdings
Defiance didn’t build the Defiance Autism Impact ETF (ASD) around a single autism drug or a bet on one company. Instead, the firm identified a broader network of businesses serving different parts of the autism ecosystem and built an ETF around it. ASD launched in June 2026 and tracks the VettaFi Autism Impact Index.
The fund uses an equal-weight methodology and currently holds roughly 40 companies. The index invests across three broad areas: drugs and behavioral therapeutics, diagnostics and assessment, and specialized education and educational technology. The portfolio extends beyond pure-play autism companies. Holdings include Neuren Pharmaceuticals (NEU), LifeStance Health Group (LFST), and Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC), among others.
ASD charges a 0.79% expense ratio and has approximately $1.4 million in assets. Join the webcast on September 18 to learn more about how the autism care economy is evolving — and what it could mean for investors looking for opportunities beyond traditional market themes.
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