[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 149 (Thursday, November 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H7700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 URGING MEMBERS TO SUPPORT FUNDRAISERS AND WALK-A-THONS TO RAISE MONEY 
                          FOR AUTISM RESEARCH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, last night while most American 
children donned their costumes to celebrate Halloween, Bonnie and 
Willis Flick, the children pictured here, were able to go trick-or-
treating only as a result of much preparation by their mother, 
Patience.
  Bonnie and Willis are superheroes, not because they were dressed as 
wizards, but because of the efforts that they make each and every day 
in trying to fit into our world. It is difficult for Bonnie and Willis 
to make sense of our overwhelming and challenging environment because 
they have a neurological disease called autism.
  Autism affects the development of the brain, especially in the areas 
of social interaction and communication skills. As a result, it is 
difficult for Bonnie and Willis to play with friends or to form 
relationships that most 11- and 13-year-olds have.
  Autism affects one out of every 500 individuals, and it is a spectrum 
disorder, which means that it manifests itself in different ways.
  For example, Bonnie can read and is able to go to a special school 
called the Learning Experience in Miami. She is a more high-functioning 
autistic child. But her brother, Willis, on the other hand, is mostly 
nonverbal. Talking for him is in small, almost guttural sounds that 
come as a result of hard work. Expressing emotions such as joy, anger, 
and frustration are extremely difficult for Willis.
  However, Bonnie and Willis are a part of our world, not a world 
apart, as this tee shirt reads. This is a tee shirt that we will be 
wearing as part of the Flick family team this Saturday when we walk for 
more autism research.
  Each day Bonnie and Willis continue to work hard to fit into our 
confusing world. They have been blessed with wonderful teachers who 
have a great deal of patience, and today Willis can dress himself. He 
has learned to eat, and he has learned to eat with a fork for the first 
time. It may not seem like a big accomplishment for most of us, but for 
a child with autism, that is a monumental task.
  For the first time, Bonnie allows her hair to be brushed and no 
longer involuntarily darts away from her caregivers.
  Bonnie and Willis are fortunate and blessed children. They receive 
professional assistance and education to help optimize their potential 
and learning capabilities. But many autistic children are not as lucky. 
Many children do not have access to health care and to therapy that 
they so desperately need.
  While the national rates of children being diagnosed with autism are 
increasing dramatically, there remains no known cure nor cause for 
autism. Mr. Speaker, we need to continue to raise research funding for 
autism to find treatments and preventions for this disability.
  The National Alliance for Autism Research, NAAR, is an organization 
whose mission it is to fund, promote, and support biomedical research 
for autism spectrum disorder. To fulfill its commitment, every year 
throughout our Nation the organization hosts walk-a-thons to help raise 
vital research funds.
  This Saturday, I, along with many others, will be participating in 
Walk Far for NAAR, which will be held in my congressional district at 
Crandon Park in Key Biscayne.
  I congratulate the chairs of this year's walk, Robert and Patricia 
Cambo and Rain Vega, for their hard work in putting together this 
year's event. I also encourage my colleagues to remember the other 
Bonnie and Willises in their districts, and on their behalf to help 
promote awareness on autism so that each day we will be a step closer 
in banishing this debilitating disorder.

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