[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4865]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING WORLD AUTISM DAY

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                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2008

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
World Autism Day in an effort to increase awareness about one of the 
most common mental disorders afflicting our country today. Autism is 
becoming an increasingly common disorder; more and more children in 
America and throughout the world are born with it every day. The first 
step toward treating this incurable condition is recognition. 
Therefore, I rise today in support of World Autism Day and to help shed 
light on this growing and very serious problem.
  The statistics concerning autism are, to say the least, alarming. One 
in 150 children born today is diagnosed with autism. One in 94 newborn 
boys is now autistic. In fact, today alone there will be approximately 
67 new cases of autism diagnosed. That translates to a new diagnosis 
every 20 minutes. These are incredibly alarming numbers and we must 
recognize that this disorder is increasingly common and also that, 
while there is no cure, the quicker we identify what the problem is, 
the quicker we can act. We may not yet be able to cure autism, but with 
a strong commitment from the Federal Government we can create better 
lives for the growing number of children that are afflicted with this 
condition.
  There is no medical way to detect autism in a child. We must rely on 
a physician's trained eye to diagnose a child as autistic, and even 
then we cannot cure it, we can only treat it. There are various 
symptoms that indicate autism that a physician must recognize. This is 
why awareness and education are so important.
  Today, I would like to recognize the efforts of doctors, advocates 
and families on World Autism Day and also bring attention to the 
shocking frequency with which autism is diagnosed. Therefore, I rise 
today to recognize World Autism Day, to commend those working toward 
education, treatment and some day a cure and to offer my support for 
these efforts.

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