[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2593-H2598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING AWARENESS OF AUTISM

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 605) recognizing the importance of increasing 
awareness of autism, supporting programs for increased research and 
improved treatment of autism, improving training and support for 
individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 605

       Whereas the Autism Society of America, Cure Autism Now, the 
     National Alliance for Autism Research, Unlocking Autism, and 
     numerous other organizations commemorate April of each year 
     as ``National Autism Awareness Month'';
       Whereas autism is a developmental disorder that is 
     typically diagnosed during the first three years of life, 
     robbing individuals of their ability to communicate and 
     interact with others;
       Whereas autism affects an estimated 1 of every 166 children 
     in the United States;
       Whereas autism is four times more likely to be found in 
     boys than in girls and can affect anyone, regardless of race, 
     ethnicity, or other factors;
       Whereas the cost of specialized treatment in a 
     developmental center for individuals with autism is 
     approximately $80,000 per individual per year;
       Whereas the cost of special education programs for school-
     aged children with autism is often more than $30,000 per 
     child per year;
       Whereas the total cost nationally of caring for individuals 
     with autism is estimated at more than $90,000,000,000 per 
     year; and
       Whereas despite the fact that autism is one of the most 
     common developmental disorders, many professionals in the 
     medical and educational fields are still unaware of the best 
     methods to diagnose and treat the disorder: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National 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; and
       (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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and insert extraneous material on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 605, a resolution 
that recognizes the importance of increasing awareness of autism, 
supporting programs for increased research and improved treatment of 
autism, and improving training and support for individuals with autism 
and those who care for individuals with autism.
  Autism is a developmental disability that usually appears, 
unfortunately, in very young children. We all have friends who are 
experiencing the tragedy, and God knows it is a tragedy, of having a 
child diagnosed that is autistic. What that does to a family we can 
only try to imagine. The least that we can do is to encourage more 
research and awareness and education among all families.
  The disease impacts the normal development of the brain that controls 
social interaction and communication skills. Autism is four times more 
prevalent in boys and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.
  More than 500,000 people in the United States today have some form of 
autism, making it the third most common developmental disability. Many 
people are surprised to learn that autism is more common than Downs 
Syndrome.
  While we are finding better ways to understand and work with autistic 
individuals, the disease is still greatly misunderstood. The majority 
of individuals, including health care professionals, are still unaware 
of how autism affects people and how to effectively work with the 
individuals with the disease.
  However, some progress has been made. A few years ago, most people 
with autism were eventually placed in institutions. Today, even the 
most severely autistic disabled can be taught skills to assist their 
development due to the development of individualized services and 
programs.
  We are all extremely concerned about this disease. This resolution 
stresses that early diagnosis and treatment are essential to ensuring a 
better quality of life for individuals with autism. However, early 
diagnosis and treatment can only occur with increased awareness, and 
that is much of what we try to do with this resolution; and that is 
why, Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this good 
bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) for 
his leadership on this critical and growing health problem, and I would 
like to thank my friend from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Health, for his good work on this issue and on many 
others.
  One of the more eye-opening meetings I have had in my 12 years in 
Congress was with the family of an autistic child. The first time I did 
that, it was sobering to listen to the mother and father talk about 
their son's diagnosis of autism, a disease about which the causes are 
disagreed and generally unknown. It is sobering to learn what

[[Page H2594]]

these caring parents deal with every working hour of every day, trying 
to carve out as normal a life as possible for their son, trying to 
break through emotional barriers, intellectual barriers, barriers they 
do not fully understand, barriers that no one really fully understands.
  It is sobering to learn the steps that these parents take to improve 
their son's development: consulting with the developmental 
pediatrician; a child psychiatrist; a clinical psychologist and 
occupational psychologist and therapist; a physical therapist; a speech 
and language therapist; as well as often a social worker, if they have 
the wherewithal to be able to get the best they can for their son.

                              {time}  1545

  This family could. Many families in our health care system that does 
not cover many people so well do not. It is heartbreaking to know these 
parents get no help from health insurers, forcing them to spend 
thousands of dollars each year towards treatment that may improve their 
son's development or may not improve their son's development.
  My home State of Ohio's families of autistic children have a 
tremendous resource in the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism. This 
unique center provides specially designed services and support to 
children with autism, or while fostering research on autism, to gain a 
better understanding of its causes and its effective treatments.
  But families throughout my State and throughout the Nation deserve 
similar support. The resolution we are considering today brings us 
closer to achieving that. The resolution raises awareness about the 
unique needs of autistic children through a number of avenues, a few of 
which I want to mention. Perhaps most importantly, the resolution 
recognizes the dedication of the parents and families of autistic 
children.
  To the countless families in Ohio and around the country who care for 
autistic children, you demonstrate every day what it means to be 
outstanding parents.
  The resolution also recognizes the important work the Centers for 
Disease Control in Atlanta does in studying the trends of autism 
throughout the country. It supports the critical need for early 
intervention in caring for an autistic child and the need to train 
teachers in addressing the needs of a growing population of autistic 
children in our schools.
  The resolution supports Federal research into causes and treatments 
of autism at the National Institutes of Health. If this Congress is 
serious about the causes that we articulate so well in this resolution, 
we will be equally serious about providing adequate funding for the 
National Institutes of Health and the Centers For Disease Control, 
something the Republican majority continues to fall short on because 
they want to do our tax cuts and choose to give tax breaks to 
millionaires instead of funding these public health programs that are 
essential to the well-being of families of children with autism and so 
many others rich and poor in this country alike.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I 
thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney), the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Burton) for their work on this issue.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Terry), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 605. 
Frankly, I think there are probably many of us here who have personal 
testimonials. Everyone in Congress probably has friends who have a 
child who is autistic.
  If one were to see Jacob Nolan Hirschfeld on the baseball diamond 
today, you might be impressed with his skills in playing our national 
pastime. Since his middle name was inspired by the great pitcher Nolan 
Ryan, you might also think his success on the field was destined. But 
Jacob's ability to play baseball and do everyday such things, such as 
attending school and playing with friends, was never guaranteed. Jacob 
Hirschfeld has been diagnosed with autism. He struggles with many of 
the issues common among the autistic. At 4 years of age, he could only 
speak in one syllable words. He was scared of loud noises and bright 
lights. He had many of the compulsions that are common with these 
children and was fearful of most people outside of his immediate 
family.
  Jacob's father, Mark Hirschfeld, a friend of mine, has said ``our 
family was literally a prisoner to autism.'' Jacob's diagnosis was 
devastating to his parents, but even more difficult was the fact that 
physicians, educators, and other professionals had little understanding 
of this complex disorder and what could be done to help children like 
Jacob. Stereotypes abounded. One physician told the Hirschfeld's that 
Jacob had no better chance than 1 in 10 of living outside of an 
institution. Jacob's mother, Nancy, recalls that one preschool 
initially turned away her son because of their fears of autism, but 
once they began to see Jacob as a person who had unique gifts as well 
as challenges, they accepted him.
  Thankfully, the Hirschfeld family persevered and sought services to 
help their son. Their search led them to engage in intensive, early 
intervention therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, which 
has helped them dramatically. Early intervention has also made a 
difference in the lives of Patrick and Jean McDermott, with their son, 
Grant, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 22 months old.
  Grant's mother Jean said, ``It was devastating to hear the words 
`diagnosis of autism' as parents of this beautiful child. My husband 
and I wondered what his future would hold. After the initial shock, we 
started researching what we could do to give him a brighter future.'' 
The McDermott's also chose the ADA early intervention therapy. 
Therapists worked with Grant about 35 hours a week teaching him basic 
and then more advanced skills. He is now a regular in school with no 
aides, and will be going to kindergarten this fall. His future is 
looking bright and the McDermott's believe he will have a full life, 
but it will always be a challenge having an autistic son until a cure 
can be found.
  Autism now affects 1 out of every 166 children in the United States. 
Boys are 4 times more likely to have autism than girls. This 
developmental disorder robs individuals of their ability to communicate 
and interact with others. These are just some of the reasons why it is 
so necessary we get the word out about autism and support this 
resolution.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney).
  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

[[Page H2595]]

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. Educational service programs 
are offered by the number of organizations.
  In my district, we are fortunate to have the North Shore ARC. We also 
have other programs of the May Foundation, May Center and 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.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Burton), who, along with the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. Tierney), is the author of this legislation.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from Massachusetts for introducing this bill. He is a good buddy on the 
committee. I appreciate his concern over this issue.
  My grandson became autistic 2 days after he received nine shots in 
one day, seven of which contained a substance called thimerosal, which 
is 50 percent mercury. We have gone from one in 10,000 children in this 
country that are autistic to now there is one in 166. As the gentleman 
from Massachusetts just said, it is four times more prevalent in boys 
than it is in young girls.
  There are probably many causes of autism, but one of the causes of 
autism according to scientists and doctors that we have had before my 
committee from around the world is having the substance of mercury 
injected into children's bodies at a very, very young age. Mercury, we 
know, is a very toxic substance. It is one where if you have it spilled 
on the ground, they will evacuate the room until they get it cleaned 
up. Yet in most childhood vaccinations up until just recently, they had 
a substance in there called thimerosal which is a preservative, and it 
was 50 percent ethyl mercury. Children get as many as 30 shots before 
they start to grade school and mercury has a cumulative effect in the 
brain. It is no wonder in my opinion that we now have one in 166 
children that are autistic where it used to be one in 10,000 just about 
10 or 15 years ago.
  We have to get mercury, as one of the causes of autism, out of all 
vaccinations for children. We have gotten it out of all of them but 
three, but we still have some of those vaccinations that are on the 
shelves that are being used by doctors that continue to use these 
vaccinations that have mercury in them.
  I would just like to say to the CDC and the FDA today, we ought to 
get all those things off the shelves, all those vaccinations off the 
shelves that contain mercury so we can protect our children; and the 
three vaccinations that still contain ethyl mercury in the form of 
thimerosal, we need to get those changed as quickly as possible and go 
to single-shot vials that do not require these preservatives.
  I also want to say to my colleagues that are concerned not only about 
children but about adults, many, many of the adult vaccinations like 
the flu vaccine that we get every year to protect this population 
against the ravages of flu contain thimerosal or mercury. It should not 
be in any vaccination that human beings are getting. Mercury is toxic 
to the human body, and it should be taken away and should be 
eliminated. Our soldiers in the Persian Gulf, in Iraq, get as many as 
11 shots in one day. Many of those shots contain thimerosal, which is 
50 percent mercury. We need to get it out of there.
  In addition to that, as this resolution states very clearly, and I 
thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for this, we need more research 
to find out all of the causes of autism so that the children that are 
coming into the world today are going to be protected in the years to 
come. The cost to the taxpayers, to this country, is huge. They 
estimate that there is $90 billion in costs right now when you add up 
everything as far as the damages to the human beings in this country 
that are becoming autistic.
  We have got a huge problem now, but down the road, these people are 
not going to die; they are going to grow old and live long lives. 
Somebody is going to have to take care of those who cannot take care of 
themselves. We need to find a cure for autism, and we need to get 
mercury out of all vaccines.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time, and I congratulate the gentleman from Massachusetts for this 
very important resolution that, as has been pointed out, does several 
things. It recognizes the importance of increasing awareness of this 
affliction, autism. It supports programs for increased research and 
improved treatment of autism. It improves training and support for 
individuals with autism.
  But one of the causes that I believe is one of the most important 
ones is that it 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.
  As has been pointed out before, each one of us could probably be here 
on the floor with a personal story about how we know someone who has 
autism, a family that has been affected by this disease, this 
affliction; and I am no exception to that. My best friends, Charles 
Flick and Patience Plumer Flick, have three children, two of whom have 
autism. Bonnie, a teenager, is able to communicate both verbally and in 
written form. She is able to do

[[Page H2596]]

simple arithmetic. She is probably in the higher level of high-
functioning autism disorder. However, her young brother, Willis, is not 
able to communicate, is not aware of his surroundings, makes no 
connection to those around him in a very direct way, nor is he able to 
communicate in any way, shape or form except for grunts and pointing at 
simple pictures.
  It has been a great experience for the family, a great challenge, to 
have them deal with the special needs of these two children. It 
presents a special challenge as well to their oldest child, Penny 
Flick, who is a graduating senior from high school this year.
  Autism affects not just the children, those individuals with autism; 
it affects and it impacts the entire family. It has been a blessing, I 
believe, for the Flick family to have children with autism because it 
has made them more aware of God's many blessings upon them and makes 
them cherish life all the more. I think that this clause in this 
resolution of the gentleman from Massachusetts is very poignant because 
it recognizes and commends the parents and the relatives of children 
with autism because they deserve a very special place in our society 
and in our community. Caregivers of people with special needs so often 
do not go noticed and are not given the attention that they deserve. It 
takes a special heart and a special family to cope with the daily 
challenges that autism gives to the families.
  I commend the gentleman from Massachusetts for this resolution, and I 
congratulate the Flick family and everyone involved with Bonnie and 
Willis for their great care.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) where I grew up.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, when I years ago worked as a psychologist at 
one of the hospitals in Pittsburgh, I was examining a newborn baby. As 
part of examining this baby, I looked to see how this baby responded to 
sounds and sights. Your average newborn baby when you have a light or 
something in the baby's eyes will turn toward it. If you hold the baby 
in front of you and the baby looks you in the eye, you can turn your 
head and that baby's eyes will turn with you.
  There was one particular child that I remember holding and looking 
at. Every time I tried to get the baby's eyes to look at me, this 
infant would turn away and get distressed. Yet if I held an object or 
something before the baby, the baby would look. I made a note of that 
somewhere in my own charts. It was interesting that a few years later 
when this same child entered my office at age 3, the parents noted that 
this child did not seem to have emotional reactions to people, did not 
seem to respond to playing the same way other children do, did not seem 
to use words the same way. It was almost as if he could neither love 
nor be loved. This child was an autistic child whom we identified early 
on as having some of those symptoms.
  Autism is a biologically based, neurodevelopmental disease that 
causes severe impairments in their language, in their social 
interactions, as if there was this wall around them that they can 
neither love nor be loved. These are not children who are mentally 
retarded. Although some children may have other developmental delays, 
there are other children with autism who are very bright and high 
functioning. These are children who really tear at the hearts of 
families because they have so many troubles with them. In fact, it is 
impossible to really describe the tremendous burden that families have 
in raising an autistic child. They seem unreachable. They cannot 
interact with their parents. They cannot interact with their siblings 
in a loving way. The pain these families feel is indescribable. The 
enormous strain that these special children place on families cannot be 
quantified with numbers. The emotional chasm between the child and 
parents and loved ones oftentimes leads to unusually high divorce rates 
at a whole other level.
  Sadly, existing treatments are expensive and less than optimally 
effective. There are behavioral treatments that help some children, but 
these treatments are far from a cure. I remember when I started 
practicing, we would learn patterns and strategies to work with 
autistic children only to find a few years later someone else said, 
that does not work, it was just another person's theory.
  But there is hope. Thanks to new medical technology such as the 
decoding of the human genome, cures are achievable for children born 
with autism today. New biomedical treatments, such as secretin and 
immunotherapy, are providing hope that autistic children will not be 
condemned to live out their lives in emotional isolation. But these 
treatments can only be developed if biomedical research is funded, if 
behavioral research is funded, if social research to help the families 
is funded, if language therapy is funded.
  Currently, autism research is providing remarkable advances, but 
there is still a great deal to be done and cures to be found. But for 
children like those I described, we are far from a cure. We need to 
learn, to teach, to help these children and help these families be able 
to speak the language of the heart that every parent would love to have 
with their child. As I said, we are far from a cure because we are so 
far, so far from knowing a cause.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the author of 
this resolution, my friend from Massachusetts, the ranking member and 
the chairman for bringing it forward. I went through 4 years of medical 
school residency, internship, and never saw a case of autism. I came 
from a large family on both sides, my mother and father, and never saw 
a case of autism.
  I was quite surprised when a physician friend of mine told me about 5 
years ago, 6 years ago now, that his son had been diagnosed with 
autism. Then I discovered that Dan Marino had a son with autism; Doug 
Flutie, whose parents live in my district, had a son with autism. Then 
all I can say is the more I started looking into this, the more and 
more concerned I began to become. A disease that was virtually unheard 
of, estimated at one in 10,000. I met with people in California. They 
were coming up with estimates of one in 500, one in 600. I met with the 
CDC. I asked them what was going on. There was some controversy at the 
time 4 or 5 years ago because the diagnostic tools, the diagnostic and 
statistical manual had been changed such that maybe we were diagnosing 
more of it, but the incidence was not really up. Anyway, the CDC to its 
credit did the necessary research and concluded that the incidence of 
this disease had skyrocketed from being a rare, unheard of condition to 
one in 166, predominantly affecting boys.
  What has been particularly concerning to me is reports that I was 
receiving. Unlike the description that the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
was offering of a child in the nursery, the baby that you take home 
that has autism that just never seemed right, we were getting more and 
more of these reports where my baby was speaking and now is no longer 
speaking, my baby was reacting and looking at me and is no longer 
reacting and looking at me. This is a very, very serious crisis. I 
think the previous speakers have been very eloquent in pointing out the 
huge costs to our society. I am very glad they brought this forward 
because it brings public attention to this issue, and it brings the 
attention of this body to this issue.
  One of the main reasons why we need to try to address this and we 
need to move aggressively on this is that we have been battling 
Parkinson's disease and breast cancer and all of these terrible 
conditions for years and years, and we have a pretty good idea of what 
causes them. It is very hard to address the cause. We do not even know 
what causes this disease in these kids. We may discover that this 
condition is totally avoidable. We may discover that it is reversible. 
I am very pleased that the gentleman from Massachusetts put some 
language in there on early intervention services as children are 
diagnosed because what I am now hearing more and more is parents are 
saying, I got my kid in therapy or we did this or we did that and he is 
doing much, much better.

                              {time}  1615

   And previously, the attitude was there is nothing one can do for 
them

[[Page H2597]]

and it is basically almost like a terminal situation. Just 
institutionalization is all that can be done. And now, lo and behold, 
we are finding with early intervention these kids can become much more 
manageable. They can be taught. They can develop learning skills, 
reading, writing. So it is a much more positive outlook.
  Regarding the issue that the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) was 
bringing up about mercury in the vaccines, the implication there, I 
think the science is not really in on this. It is really inconclusive, 
but minimally what I think we need to do is what the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Maloney) and myself are recommending, and that is get 
the mercury out of all the childhood vaccines. It is a toxic substance, 
and whether it is implicated or not in the autism, I think there is 
evidence to suggest it may be, that minimally we should not take any 
chances with little kids. We should not be exposing them unnecessarily 
to mercury. And therefore pass our legislation to get the mercury out.
  Again, I congratulate the gentleman from Massachusetts on this. We 
need more research. And let me just close by saying NIH and CDC have 
significantly increased their funding. They have been responding. I 
think NIH funding for autism research is up four-fold in the last 6 
years, and the Secretary and the folks at NIH need to be commended for 
that, and I certainly commend them. But we need to do more because we 
may discover ultimately in the end this is a preventable condition and 
that we can allow thousands of children the opportunity to escape ever 
being affected by the disease in the first place, and we obviously need 
to do more in terms of treating the kids that have it. I thank the 
chairman for yielding me the time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to have heard the 
gentleman's remarks. I know we all are.
  Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues this 
afternoon speaking in favor of H. Res. 605. H. Res. 605 is an important 
step to raise national awareness about autism by designating the month 
of April as National Autism Month. In addition, H. Res. 605 recognizes 
the prevalence of autism, the need to support programs for research and 
treatment of autism, and the importance of improving training and 
support for individuals with autism and their caregivers.
  Autism is a debilitating developmental disability affecting the 
ability of individuals to communicate and interact with others. It is 
estimated that 1 of every 166 children in the United States has an 
autism spectrum disorder. In my home state of Utah, it is estimated 
that 4 in every 10,000 children have autism spectrum disorders.
  However, statistics on the prevalence of autism can be difficult to 
obtain. Registries are relatively new and voluntary, hindering the 
collection of this data. But, efforts to record the incidence of autism 
are an important step in raising awareness and unlocking this 
developmental disorder. Important efforts are being undertaken in Utah, 
through the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, to 
determine and monitor the number of children in Utah with autism. This 
identification process is an important first step in raising awareness, 
quantifying need, and creating the necessary networks to provide 
adequate support.
  Autism is best treated when diagnosed early. Usually, diagnosis 
occurs within the first three years of life. Improving awareness does 
not just mean counting people, it means identifying children with 
autism early, by ensuring that primary care providers are aware of the 
signs of autism. Early identification can assist in earlier access to 
appropriate treatment for these children, and early intervention can 
improve the long-term outcomes.
  In addition, expanding awareness is about training and services, both 
for children, their families, and their caregivers and educators. Too 
often children with autism do not receive the highly trained, skilled 
services that they need. Autism can overwhelm both the child and those 
who must care for them without adequate preparation or support. 
Improving professional development, support networks, and assistance 
available to the caregivers of individuals with autism is critical. It 
is necessary to adequately fund and support special education and train 
specialized teachers. It is also critical to recognize the potential 
that individuals with autism can have when provided with appropriate 
educational opportunities and employment training. With these on-going 
interventions and supports, individuals with autism can achieve their 
fullest potentials.
  Finally, increasing awareness must involve greater focus on research 
related to autism. It must include research into causes, treatments, 
and even potential cures. Autism is a complex challenge that requires 
some of the best scientific and medical attention our nation has to 
offer. Federal support for research on autism has been growing, but 
additional efforts will be critical in finding the answers to the many 
questions that autism poses.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion I want to recognize the courage and the 
commitment of the individuals, families, and professionals for whom 
autism is a reality of daily life. They are truly committed to caring 
and making progress, and I am happy to support them in this effort to 
increase the national awareness of autism.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 605, which 
recognizes the importance of increasing awareness of autism, advocates 
increased research, and pays tribute to those who care for individuals 
with autism.
  More prevalent than Down syndrome, childhood cancer, and childhood 
diabetes combined, autism is a developmental disorder that is affecting 
a growing number of Americans. Studies show that one of every 250 
babies born today will develop some form or autism. Individuals with 
autism face a wide array of biomedical and neurological difficulties, 
all of which result in a compromised immune system. The physical toll 
on children with autism is enormous, and the physical, emotional, and 
financial burden that parents of autistic children face is great. I 
have enormous respect for the parents, friends, and families of 
autistic children who sacrifice so much in order to care for their 
children.
  Residents in my home state of Wisconsin are fortunate to have access 
to intensive in-home therapy with certified providers, and I applaud 
universities such as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which is 
making great progress with its autism intervention program that trains 
students in autism behavior analysis and therapy. I believe we have a 
responsibility to aid colleges and universities that are doing such 
important work. I am also proud to be a member of the Congressional 
Coalition for Autism Research and Education, which seeks to educate 
members on the realities of autism and work to increase federal funding 
for autism research and services.
  I have been fortunate during my years in Congress to meet with many 
parents of autistic children who continue to amaze me with the selfless 
work they do each day. Recently, I was able to spend some time at 
Willow River Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin, which has one of 
the highest rates of autistic children in the state. It was a pleasure 
to spend time with special education teachers who work so diligently 
with their students. The morning was a reminder of both the problems 
and promise autistic children have.
  Mr. Speaker, we must work to better the situations of the children 
and families who live with autism on a daily basis. I commend Mr. 
Tierney and Mr. Burton for offering this important resolution and am 
pleased to be an original cosponsor. I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
605, which recognizes the importance of increasing awareness of autism. 
This resolution supports research on the treatment of autism, the 
improvement of training and support for individuals with autism and 
those who are for them.
  As a member of the Congressional Coalition for Autism Research & 
Education, and the uncle of a little boy of autism, I am well 
acquainted with the issues faced by families of children with this 
disorder. I am struck by the rapid increase in the number of children 
diagnosed with autism in the last decade. While we have certainly made 
progress in assessment, diagnosis and treatment, there is room for 
improvement. We must commit ourselves to providing parents, 
pediatricians, early childhood educators and all those who have contact 
with very young children the resources and training to identify 
children who need help early enough to begin effective interventions. 
We must take advantage of ongoing data collection in the state and use 
it to construct better policies and programs to serve our children and 
families struggling with autism.
  Like all children, those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders are 
individuals with unique talents and abilities. Across the state, 
special education teachers, psychologists and others are working hard 
to bring these gifts and talents to light, and help these children 
realize their potential. We must recognize and support this honorable 
work through promoting research and resources dedicated to the study of 
autism. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 605.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 605, a 
resolution recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of 
autism, supporting programs for increased research and improved 
treatment of autism, and improving training and support for individuals 
with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.
  Even though autism is one of the most common developmental disorders 
affecting children, it is still poorly understood throughout

[[Page H2598]]

the medical community, producing great frustration among concerned 
parents. For reasons that are far from clear, children with autism 
often lack the normal means of communicating and interacting with 
others, making their transitions to adult society extraordinarily 
difficult.
  Achieving a better understanding of autism will take time, money, and 
the dedication of researchers and volunteers across the country. That 
is why I call on my colleagues to support additional funding for autism 
research and surveillance activities performed by the Centers for 
Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. It is also vital 
that we support the basic science research being performed at the 
National Science Foundation and other institutions, which provide the 
knowledge base for the more advanced health research performed by 
medical researchers.
  One of the key questions that these researchers are trying to answer 
is the potential of a connection between environmental factors and the 
prevalence of developmental disorders like autism. That is why 
Representative Saxton and I have formed the Children's Environmental 
Health Caucus, which will serve to educate members and staff here on 
the Hill about the latest scientific research into the impact of 
environmental factors on children's health. I hope my colleagues can 
join this caucus and work with us to further this type of research.
  It is also critical that we provide the services needed to educate 
and care for those who do have autism. That is why I would like to call 
on the Congress to establish mandatory full funding for the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act. It is time for the federal government 
to step up and fulfill its obligation on special education funding for 
the sake of children with special needs and for the sake of our 
constituents who often face high property taxes.
  I would also like to commend the work of all of the nonprofit groups 
that do so much to provide for children with autism and their families. 
Groups like the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the 
Autism Community (NJCOSAC) provide information, services, advocacy, and 
education. Others, like the National Alliance for Autism Research 
(NAAR), support and fund research into science-based approaches for 
determining the causes, effective treatments, and potential cures for 
autism. NAAR, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, was founded by 
two of my constituents, Karen and Eric London, whose son Zachary was 
diagnosed with autism when he was only twenty-two months old.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution 
and to remember those children with autism when it comes time to debate 
appropriations. Funding scientific and biomedical research is not just 
about giving jobs to scientists--it's about giving hope to people like 
Karen and Eric London and their son Zachary.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House 
Resolution 605 which recognizes the importance of increasing awareness 
of autism as well as calling for greater investments in Research and 
Development to combat this disability as well as improving training and 
support for individuals with autism and their caregivers.
  I echo the comments of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on 
this important issue--that our government must not only fight autism 
but also the stigma of autism.
  As we know, the statistics surrounding autism are staggering.
   About 5 out of every 10,000 children are diagnosed with autism, with 
boys suffering at a rate of four times that of girls.
  More concerning is that the rates of autism are increasing at an 
alarming rate at between 10-17% annual growth in new cases diagnosed.
  Autism does not discriminate between races or nationalities and 
strikes so many, while our knowledge base of this disability is so 
little.
  The facts tell one story, but I would also like to focus on the more 
human side of autism.
  Recently, a father from my district visited my office to tell the 
story of his son, Adam, who is autistic.
  We must combat both the lack of scientific knowledge surrounding 
autism as well as the public ignorance about this disability.
  On behalf of the people that live with autism, like Adam, it is my 
hope that not only will this resolution be enacted, but that the 
Congress will follow up on it with new funding to learn more about, 
treat, and eventually combat autism.
   Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 605, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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