FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 6, 2004
Tierney: Increasing Awareness About Autism is Critical
Bi-Partisan Resolution Passes House Unanimously
Washington, DC- Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved a bi-partisan resolution, authored by U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney (D-Salem) and U.S. Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) and co-sponsored by 45 Members of Congress, that recognizes the importance of increasing awareness about how to best diagnose and treat Autism. A text of Congressman Tierney’s floor statement in support of this resolution as well as the text of House Resolution 605 can be found below.
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio, and all of the other Members who are speaking on and cosponsored this resolution.
As the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) indicated, there is story after story that we could talk about the particular circumstances of a family and how their family is impacted by autism. Autism is a brain disorder that typically effects an individual's social interaction and communication. There are, as the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) said, 1.5 million Americans today who are affected by autism spectrum disorder. This is not just one typical set of circumstances, but a whole spectrum of circumstances and consequences suffered by individuals and families.
Experts do not concur on the exact number of cases of autism spectrum disorder, but they agree autism is one of the fastest growing developmental disabilities in the United States. Spectrum disorders are considered the second most common developmental disorder that American children face today. And even so, many professionals, whether they are in the medical profession or the educational fields, are still unaware of best methods to diagnose or treat this particular disorder.
What we do know is that once a diagnosis is made, initiating early intervention services significantly improves the people with autism and can reduce the level of funding and services needed later in life. Ten years ago, the Center for Disease Control estimated that 1 in every 10,000 children were affected by autism. More recently, the number was refined to 1 in every 250. This year the CDC estimated that the occurrence of autism is closer to 1 in 166. We sent it back to CDC when we first got that number because we were astounded it would be that high, but on reflection and review of their numbers, they said it was closer to 1 in 166.
Mr. Speaker, we have to commend families and parents and relatives of children with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for those special needs. I have seen situations where parents are dealing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a child with extreme autism.
In the subcommittee, so ably chaired by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), we have seen films of children with extreme autism. Some Members saw, for the first time, just how difficult it is to deal with autism and its consequences.
My niece teaches special education in the State of Massachusetts. There are other teachers who talk to me regularly about the special needs and circumstances of children in their classes, and tell me every year the number of children with autism in their classes seems to grow.
Autism does not discriminate by race or ethnicity, but it is four times more prevalent in males than females; and an estimated 50 children are diagnosed with autism every day. There is no known cure for autism, so it is imperative to learn why autism is reaching epidemic proportions across this country.
Children do not follow any typical pattern of child development. For some, hints of future problems appear at birth, in others it becomes more noticeable as children slip behind children of their own age. The condition can be improved through behavioral and well-structured educational programs in some instances.
In my district, we are fortunate to have the North Shore ARC. We also have other programs of the May Institute and the Shriver Center in Massachusetts. They deal with programs developed for children with autism spectrum disorder, providing a broad scope of services, support, advocacy, information, and referrals that are responsive to the needs of children with that disorder. It is thanks to their continuing efforts that some families are getting relief and support.
But Congress has to recognize the significant financial costs for the specialized education and support services. According to the Centers For Disease Control, the cost of specialized treatment in a developmental center for people with autism is approximately $80,000 per individual per year. And the cost of special education programs for school-aged children with autism is often more than $30,000 per individual per year. The cost nationally of caring for persons affected by autism is estimated at more that $90 million a year. With these numbers in mind, Congress should fulfill the 30-year-old Federal commitment to provide States with part of the costs needed for education of children with disabilities under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
We can go further by making sure that the Centers For Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health have enough funding to find out the cause of this particular disease, to find how we might detect it earlier, treat it and prevent it.
Again, I commend and thank all of my colleagues for cosponsoring this resolution, for their hard work in making sure that we do the Federal share in finding some solutions.
TEXT OF HOUSE RESOLUTION 605 OFFERED BY MR. TIERNEY
(1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘National 1 Autism Awareness Month’’;
(2) recognizes and commends the parents and relatives of children with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of children with autism and for absorbing significant financial costs for specialized education and support services;
(3) supports aggressive research to determine the causes of autism, identify the best methods of early intervention and treatment, expand programs for individuals with autism across their lifespan, and promote understanding of the special needs of individuals with autism;
(4) commends the Department of Health and Human Services for implementing programs to study the epidemiology of autism and related disorders and advancing autism research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health;
(5) stresses the need to begin early intervention services soon after an individual has been diagnosed with autism, noting that early intervention strategies are the primary therapeutic options for individuals with autism and early intervention significantly improves outcomes for individuals with autism and can reduce the level of funding and services needed later in life;
(6) supports the Federal Government’s commitment to provide States with part of the costs needed to educate children with disabilities under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.);
(7) encourages more Americans to pursue the teaching profession and to be trained with the skills necessary to teach, assist, and respond to special needs students, including those students with autism;
(8) recognizes the importance of worker training programs that meet the needs of developmentally disabled individuals, including those individuals with autism, and notes that people with autism can be, and are, productive members of the workforce if they are given appropriate support, training, and early intervention services.
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