[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 42 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     H. RES. 458, AUTISM AWARENESS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RICHARD H. BAKER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2000

  Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the importance of 
autism awareness, as well as to offer my support and to express my 
admiration for my constituents, Shelly and Aiden Reynolds, for their 
hard work and dedication in co-founding Unlocking Autism.
  Unlocking Autism is an organization dedicated to raising public 
awareness about autism as well as raising money for biomedical 
research. This organization has launched a national awareness project 
called Open Your Eyes, and is striving to collect 58,000 pictures of 
persons with autism from across the United States. This collection will 
debut in Washington, DC from April 5th thru 9th of this year.
  The Hear-Their-Silence Rally is a response to the fact that autism 
and related conditions have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 
500 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997). This 
statistic is higher than the incidences of Multiple Sclerosis, Downs 
Syndrome, or Cystic Fibrosis. At least 400,000 people in the United 
States are affected, and yet little is known about this disease.
  When people become aware of a disease, they will begin to strive for, 
and demand action to further the understanding and prevention of that 
disease.
  To this end, I am pleased to be sponsoring legislation that will 
express the sense of the House of Representatives. I urge the Citizens' 
Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend to the Postmaster General a 
commemorative postage stamp which would further the cause of autism 
awareness and place autism before the American people.
  Shelly and Aiden Reynolds have used the reality of their son Liam's 
diagnosis of autism to fuel their fight to bring this disease to the 
fore front of national awareness. Countless others have joined their 
efforts. A commemorative stamp would give a face to those individuals 
afflicted with autism. Let us give them a voice

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