[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6462]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RONNIE SHOWS

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2001

  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the 
Congressional Autism Caucus to remind my colleagues that the month of 
April is National Autism Awareness Month, and that tomorrow, 
Mississippi, and many other states will recognize April 27th as 
National Autism Day. The ribbon that I wear is the International symbol 
for autism, symbolizing the complexity of the disorder. The different 
colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families 
living with autism, while the brightness of the ribbon signals hope--
the hope to be found through increasing research, resources and 
awareness.
  This month gives us a unique opportunity to celebrate the progress we 
have made in understanding Autism, and the goals we must continue to 
fulfill. This century we have come a long way in overturning the 
misconceptions of what autism is. We know that autism is a 
developmental disability that over 400,000 people in the United States 
are estimated to have. We know that it is four times more likely to be 
diagnosed in boys as in girls. We know that there are many degrees of 
severity of autism, but that all autistic people tend to exhibit 
deficient social behavior, language and cognitive development. What we 
still don't know though, is what causes Autism.
  Last year, Congress passed landmark bi-partisan legislation, the 
Children's Health Act of 2000, which was signed into law last October. 
Within this legislation were major provisions for the creation of five 
regional ``centers for excellence'' for research into autism, 
administered the National Institute for Mental Health, as well as 
education programs on autism for the community. The bi-partisan spirit 
of cooperation, fueled by the thousands of involved parents, teachers, 
and doctors in the autism community, enabled us to do what we were 
intended to do in Congress; to provide a voice and resources for those 
most in need of advocacy.
  So, what do we do now? As Congress looks forward to debating 
education legislation, we should be vigilant in our support for the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In 1975, the U.S. Congress 
passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as 
IDEA, mandating that local school districts provide appropriate 
education to students with special needs. Understanding that this could 
be a costly endeavor, Congress agreed to fund up to 40 percent of the 
average per pupil expenditure. However, to date, Congress has only 
provided States with about 14 percent of the funds promised.
  I have listened to countless parents of children with disabilities in 
my district talk about the struggles and challenges they have in 
getting their schools to properly educate their children. The years of 
frustration parents have endured in attempting to get their children 
appropriate assistance is disgraceful. Parents, particularly those of 
children who have special needs, should have strong partnerships with 
their schools. Instead, due to an often appalling lack of resources, 
our parents and teachers sometimes find themselves having adversarial 
relationships. This helps no one, least of all the child, whom our 
schools seek to educate.
  National Autism month reminds us to reflect on our responsibility to 
do a better job of keeping the IDEA promise. As members of Congress, we 
should celebrate how far we have come in meeting the needs of children 
with disabilities, but remember that our job is far from over, and our 
goals far from being fulfilled.

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