[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 60 (Friday, May 4, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E734-E735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING AUTISM AWARENESS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2001

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my support for H. 
Con. Res. 91, the Increase Awareness of Autism and Support Greater 
Research, Treatment & Training Resolution, to honor Autism Awareness 
Day, and to pay tribute to parents and families of autistic children 
everywhere.
  As a result of autism, an estimated 400,000 Americans have lost the 
ability to communicate and interact with others. In my home state of 
Rhode Island, autism had become an absolute crisis. The incidence of 
the disorder has risen by over 1000% in the past seven years, and by 
over 300% in the past five years alone.
  Caring for people afflicted with autism costs more than $13 billion 
per year, and the majority of these costs are borne by the families of 
the victims of autism. These parents have sacrificed tremendously to 
provide the specialized education and support services that their 
children need. Yet, they still do not receive the support they deserve 
from the government.
  My nephew has a form of autism so I know firsthand the challenges 
these families face. Many days, my nephew's parents cannot hold 
conversations with their son. Communicating with him takes 
extraordinary patience. Had his parents not engaged him in an intensive 
intervention program immediately after his diagnosis, he would have 
made much less progress today. It was not many years ago that children 
with autism would have been misdiagnosed and often institutionalized 
for the rest of their lives.
  Parents of autistic children regularly encounter people who do not 
understand the difficulties associated with autism. Friends and 
teachers become impatient. They repeat the same phrase over and over, 
as if the child will understand if it is repeated one more time. 
Teachers are often ill-equipped to deal with the special challenges of 
autistic children. H. Con Res. 91 calls upon federal, state and local 
governments to allocate sufficient resources to alleviate the shortage 
of appropriately trained teachers of autistic children; and recognizes 
the importance of worker training programs tailored to the needs of 
developmentally disabled persons, including those with autism.
  The resolution further expresses Congress' support for increasing 
federal funding for research to learn the causes of autism, identify

[[Page E735]]

the best methods of early intervention and treatment, and promote 
understanding of the special needs of autistic persons. It urges swift 
implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000, particularly the 
establishment of at least three ``centers of excellence'' at the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at least five centers at 
the National Institutes of Health, in order to monitor the prevalence 
of autism at the national level.
  As a proud member of the Coalition for Autism Research and Education 
(C.A.R.E.), I will fight for increases in support this year, to correct 
years of under-funding of organizations and programs that deal with 
autism issues.
  In addition, the federal government must honor its promise to 
contribute up to 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for 
special needs funding. To date, the maximum the government has ever 
contributed is 15 percent. As an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1330, the 
Helping Children Succeed by Fully Funding the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, I am fighting to ensure that the federal 
government honors its commitment to local districts.
  It is of utmost importance to me that the federal government keep its 
promise to special needs students so they receive the first class 
education they deserve. I commend my colleagues for honoring this 
special day and implore them to work together to guarantee that the 
national crisis called autism receives the critical attention and 
financial support its merits.

                          ____________________