[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6419-6424]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1033) expressing support for designation of 
April 2010 as ``National Autism Awareness Month'' and supporting 
efforts to devote new resources to research into the causes and 
treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals 
with autism and those who care for individuals with autism, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1033

       Whereas autism is a developmental disorder that is 
     typically diagnosed during the first 3 years of life, 
     affecting individuals' ability to communicate and interact 
     with others;
       Whereas autism affects an estimated 1 in every 110 children 
     in the United States;
       Whereas autism is four times more likely to be diagnosed in 
     boys than in girls;
       Whereas autism can affect anyone, regardless of race, 
     ethnicity, or other factors;
       Whereas it costs approximately $80,000 per year to treat an 
     individual with autism in a medical center specializing in 
     developmental disabilities;
       Whereas the cost of special education programs for school-
     age children with autism is often more than $30,000 per 
     individual per year;
       Whereas the cost nationally of caring for persons affected 
     by autism is estimated at upwards of $90,000,000,000 per 
     year;
       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; and
       Whereas April 2010 would be an appropriate month to 
     designate as ``National Autism Awareness Month'' to increase 
     public awareness of the need to support individuals with 
     autism and the family members and medical

[[Page 6420]]

     professionals who care for individuals with autism: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses support for designation of a ``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 financial costs for specialized education and 
     support services;
       (3) supports the goal of devoting resources to researching 
     the root causes of autism, identifying the best methods of 
     early intervention and treatment, expanding programs for 
     individuals with autism across their lifespans, and promoting 
     understanding of the special needs of people with autism;
       (4) stresses the need to begin early intervention services 
     soon after a child has been diagnosed with autism, noting 
     that early intervention strategies are the primary 
     therapeutic options for young people with autism, and that 
     early intervention significantly improves the outcome for 
     people with autism and can reduce the level of funding and 
     services needed to treat people with autism later in life;
       (5) recognizes the shortage of appropriately trained 
     teachers who have the skills and support necessary to teach, 
     assist, and respond to special needs students, including 
     those with autism, in our school systems; and
       (6) recognizes the importance of worker training programs 
     that are tailored to the needs of people with developmental 
     disabilities, including those 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 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Pitts) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 
1033. This resolution expresses support for the designation of this 
month, the month of April, as National Autism Awareness Month.
  Autism spectrum disorders are a group of developmental disabilities 
that affect an estimated one in 100 children nationwide. ASDs, or 
autism, are typically diagnosed within the first 3 years of life. 
Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. However, 
we know that autism affects each person and certain groups differently.
  People with Asperger's syndrome, one form of autism, typically do not 
have difficulty with language or intellectual disability. Others with 
autism have more notable language delays and social challenges, among 
other symptoms. This form of autism is referred to as autistic 
disorder, or classic autism. Autism is at least four times more likely 
to be diagnosed in boys than in girls.
  We have made important progress in research on autism within the past 
few years, and I and dozens of Members of Congress who annually seek 
and obtain billions of dollars for autism funding know that there 
remains much to learn about the risk factors and causes of this group 
of conditions.
  We must also continue to raise awareness regarding the signs and 
symptoms of autism. Today's resolution gives us an opportunity to do 
just that. This awareness raising is particularly important since early 
intervention has shown to improve a child's development.
  This resolution recognizes and commends parents and relatives for 
their dedication in caring for children with autism. It supports the 
investment of resources into research that will help improve our 
understanding of autism and promote early intervention and treatment. 
It also recognizes the importance of appropriately trained educators to 
respond to students with special needs.
  Those are the reasons why my friend Chris Smith and I, as founders 
and cochairs of the Congressional Autism Caucus, introduced H.R. 2413, 
the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act. That bill will reinforce our 
country's work to identify the causes of autism by improving the 
coordination of our government's efforts. And it establishes a national 
network of autism research in order to strengthen linkages between 
research and service initiatives at the Federal, regional, State, and 
local levels, and facilitate the translation of research on autism into 
services and treatments that will improve the quality of life for 
individuals with autism and their families. A national data repository 
will be created to share emerging data, findings, and treatment models.
  This resolution on the floor today mentions the needs of adults with 
autism, and our bipartisan bill, H.R. 2413, actually creates an adult 
services demonstration project to provide an array of services to 
adults with autism spectrum disorders, including postsecondary 
education, vocational and self-advocacy skills, employment; residential 
services, supports and housing; nutrition, health and wellness, 
recreational and social activities; and transportation and personal 
safety.
  I am proud that our bill, H.R. 2413, will also create a national 
training initiative on autism and a technical assistance center to 
develop and expand interdisciplinary training and continuing education 
on autism spectrum disorders.
  We ask all the Members of the House, including this resolution's 
sponsors, to join us and cosponsor H.R. 2413, the Autism Treatment 
Acceleration Act, a meaningful bill that would achieve the goals of 
today's resolution.
  I want to commend Representative Reichert, the sponsor of this 
resolution, for his work on this resolution at a time when so much 
needs to be done for children and adults with autism.
  Madam Speaker, I would also like to note that the Committee on 
Education and Labor received a secondary referral for this resolution. 
The committee agreed to waive the opportunity to exercise its 
jurisdiction in the interests of advancing this resolution. I want to 
say thank you to Chairman Miller for allowing this resolution to be 
brought to the floor as quickly as possible. I urge my colleagues to 
support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1033, expressing 
support for National Autism Awareness Month, and I am pleased to join 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania, the cochair of the Autism Caucus, on 
behalf of the other cochair of the Autism Caucus, the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Smith), as well as the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Reichert), the prime sponsor, and Mr. Bachus of Alabama and Mr. Gerlach 
from Pennsylvania, who are other sponsors of this resolution.

                              {time}  1730

  The resolution, as was stated, acknowledges April as National Autism 
Awareness Month, and it supports the research efforts for the causes 
and treatments of autism. I would like to recognize the efforts of 
those who have gone through the appropriate training and who have 
provided support to individuals with autism.
  I would also like to recognize the parents, the relatives, the 
friends of those with autism for their sacrifices and dedication, 
especially for absorbing many times the significant costs for 
specialized education and support services.
  Some have estimated that one in every 110 children in the United 
States is affected by a disorder on the autism spectrum. Once 
diagnosed, early intervention is important to improve the outcomes of 
those with autism and to reduce the level of funding and services 
needed to treat people with autism spectrum disorder later in life. 
Continued research to identify the root causes of autism and support 
for the training of caregivers and teachers who work

[[Page 6421]]

with children with autism will ensure that people with autism will 
continue to be important and productive members of society.
  I would like to thank especially the author of the resolution, Mr. 
David Reichert of Washington, for his leadership in raising autism 
awareness, and I would like to commend the efforts of those who care 
for individuals with autism. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote 
in favor of this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper).
  Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 
1033, expressing the House of Representatives' support for April as 
National Autism Awareness Month.
  There are an estimated 1.5 million Americans living with autism, a 
developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate 
and to interact with others. A recent report shows that autism 
prevalence is on the rise. It now occurs in one out of every 110 births 
in the United States. We need to take action to address the causes of 
autism now and provide support to individuals and families affected by 
the disorder.
  National Autism Awareness Month is an important advocacy tool for 
those affected by autism and by those affected by Asperger's to raise 
awareness about a similar but distinct condition. Asperger's disorder 
is distinctive from autism in that its symptoms are less severe. 
Individuals with Asperger's often possess above-average intelligence 
and want social interaction with other people, but their condition is 
an obstacle to communication. Americans with Asperger's and autism have 
so much to offer. With the right support to help overcome the barriers 
of their disorders, they can share their talents and can be productive, 
engaged members of our communities.
  I am proud to offer my support to National Autism Awareness Month, 
and I urge my colleagues to support not only this resolution but 
individuals and families affected by autism and Asperger's throughout 
our country.
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the cochair of the 
Autism Caucus, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend, Mr. Pitts, for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1033, a resolution 
designating April 2010 as National Autism Awareness Month.
  I thank my friends and colleagues Messrs. Reichert, Gerlach, and 
Bachus. I especially want to thank my good friend and colleague, the 
cochair of the House caucus, who is Mike Doyle, and Mr. Pitts for their 
leadership on this very important resolution and, most importantly, on 
this very important issue.
  This resolution serves an important function of increasing awareness 
of the 1.5 million individuals who are living with autism spectrum 
disorder and of the extreme dedication and efforts of their families in 
providing the best possible care and environments for their children, 
grandchildren, brothers, and sisters.
  I want to especially note that the parents and the grandparents of 
children with autism have earned our enormous respect. I know many 
families with autism. It can be a very harrowing ordeal. Yet they do it 
with such class and with such love and dedication to their children. 
The concerns of the parents are validated in the community, and have 
since been found to be true nationwide in terms of the numbers.
  I will point out to my colleagues that I've been involved in autism 
since 1981, since my first term. I'll never forget visiting Eden 
Institute in Princeton, which does tremendous breakthrough research and 
work with autism children and young adults. Frankly, for me, it wasn't 
until 1998 when two parents, Bobbie and Billy Gallagher from Brick 
Township, New Jersey, came to me after hours and said, Congressman, 
we'd like you to sit down and look over some of the evidence and data 
we've accumulated because it is our belief that there is a prevalent 
spike in autism in Brick.
  We brought in all of the good players. We brought in the CDC; we 
brought in the NIH folks, and we brought in public health experts. We 
put together a study to find out what was or is the trigger that was 
seemingly causing this huge spike in autistic children in one 
particular town in the State of New Jersey. To our shock and dismay, as 
this was going on, we discovered that there was a prevalence spike for 
sure, but it was most likely throughout the rest of New Jersey and 
probably, as it was highly suggestive, throughout the entire country of 
the United States.
  So we put together a piece of legislation to establish what we called 
the Centers of Excellence to look at, especially, and to apply the best 
principles and prevalence techniques to determine what was causing this 
and to determine how many children were being malaffected by autism. To 
our shock and dismay, again we discovered that the United States didn't 
have a one in 10,000 prevalence, which is what the expectation was when 
I was elected in 1981, but that it was much higher. At that point, it 
was put at about one out of every 150 children.
  So the Centers of Excellence were funded. The legislation was passed. 
I'll never forget that Congressman Mike Bilirakis was kind enough to 
accept our legislation as Title I of the Children's Health Act, which 
was a very comprehensive law designed to help children. Title I not 
only put more money into the CDC but also into the National Institutes 
of Health, which then was very much underfunding this effort to try to 
help autistic children.
  Just for the record, we were spending $287,000 per year on autism at 
CDC. As my colleagues know, that falls off the table at some of our 
bureaucracies. That number has now gone up significantly to about $15 
million, and now we have a critical mass of money working very 
synergistically with local health departments and the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention as well as on these prevalence efforts 
to find out what the parameters are of this developmental disability, 
because you can't combat something unless you know the who, what, when, 
where, and why of it, and that is what we are trying to do.
  In the early 2000s, Mr. Doyle and I launched the Autism Caucus. We 
have tried throughout these years to be very supportive of every 
legislative effort, including the cure autism efforts of these past 
several years. The key has been more money for research, more money for 
early childhood interventions and trying to deal with the issue of what 
happens after a child reaches adulthood. It seems to me that every 
dollar we spend early-on means that we can have a higher functioning 
autistic child, now young adult, who can get a job, who can become 
gainfully employed, and who can become as independent as humanly 
possible. So every dollar we spend on autism is a dollar well spent.
  Mr. Doyle and I have already entered into a compact with friends in 
Northern Ireland, in Wales, and in Scotland where they have an autism 
problem. This is a global phenomenon, as my friends and colleagues 
know, and we need to do more.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PITTS. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I have introduced a bill which would provide 
small grant money to fledgling nongovernmental organizations throughout 
the world.
  In my travels to places like Nigeria, I met up with a small 
nongovernmental organization which was like David versus Goliath. I was 
trying to get the government there to realize that they have an 
autistic problem that is estimated to affect about 1 million children 
in Nigeria alone. Nobody knows how accurate that is, but the best and 
most well-intentioned people in Nigeria have come to that number.
  So we do have a serious spike. What is the trigger? Is it too many 
vaccines given at one time, you know, where the megadosing that occurs 
today in that little child can't metabolize and where the body can't 
deal with it in a way that leads to the child's being safe from those 
other diseases? Is it thimerosal? For our children and for our

[[Page 6422]]

young adults who have autism, we need to continue to leave no stone 
unturned in finding what the trigger is or what the multiple triggers 
are.
  Finally, again, I want to thank Bobbie and Billy Gallagher, who are 
the two parents in Brick Township who came forward with a stack of 
papers and who said, Please, will you take this up?
  I took it up, and I've enjoyed working closely with friends and 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle so that we can cure autism 
now. The sooner the better.
  Mr. DOYLE. I would just like to say that I deeply appreciate the 
efforts of the gentleman from New Jersey on behalf of all people with 
autism and on behalf of their families. He has been a true champion, 
and I appreciate his friendship, too.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Towns).
  Mr. TOWNS. Thank you very much for yielding time to me.
  Of course I want to commend the members of the Autism Caucus for 
their outstanding work that they're doing. I also hope that this 
resolution will bring about awareness and support for autism.
  Madam Speaker, let me just say that we know that more research is 
needed, and I think that any way that we can make it possible for 
people to focus on it and to understand how important these additional 
resources are makes a whole lot of sense.
  I just want to commend my colleagues for their outstanding work that 
they have done to bring us to this point. I am hoping that, as a result 
of this, we will get more Members involved and, of course, more people 
involved in this issue, because there are still a lot of unanswered 
questions. At any time we can create a situation where people will 
focus on it, then I think answers will be coming forth.
  So I just want to commend my colleagues for this effort. I look 
forward to working with them because this is a very serious problem. It 
is one that should not be ignored, and it is one on which we really 
should spend time making certain we get the word out in order to get 
the kind of research that we need to have in order to bring about a 
solution.
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to one of the cosponsors 
of the resolution, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
  Mr. BACHUS. Madam Speaker, as a parent myself, I know that there is 
nothing more important than the well-being of a child to a parent. When 
there is a change in a child's behavior and when the parents or 
grandparents notice that something is wrong, they are the first to 
notice, and they are also the first to want answers. Often those 
answers are that the child has autism or is on the autism spectrum.
  I also join in commending Mike Doyle and Chris Smith for their long 
labors on this issue, and I would like to associate myself with the 
remarks of Mr. Towns and of others.
  Autism has always been a challenging diagnosis. There is an increased 
instance of autism spectrum disorder. It is quite a phenomenon. As of 
yet, it hasn't really been explained, but it is something that 
children, families, and siblings will have to deal with their entire 
lives. There are two very important things that we now know about 
autism:
  The first is that awareness is critical, so I commend Mr. Reichert 
and Mr. Gerlach, along with Mr. Pitts and the other speakers today. 
That's what makes the designation of April as National Autism Awareness 
Month so significant. The sooner an autism spectrum disorder is 
identified, the sooner a child can receive specialized treatment.
  The second thing we know is that early intervention programs can make 
an exceptional difference in the quality of life for these precious 
children. This has been proven not just by studies but by the personal 
stories told by individual families. They've seen their young people 
literally blossom in front of their eyes as a result of early 
treatment.
  The Birmingham area, from which I hail, has an innovative center 
called Mitchell's Place. It's named for Mitchell, who is the son of the 
two founders, the Meislers. It is a model for autism services, not just 
for Alabama but for the entire country. Mitchell's Place combines the 
latest in behavioral and developmental research on autism with a 
structured and caring environment. When you walk through the doors of 
the center, which is bright and nurturing, you can feel the love for 
the children, and they respond.
  There are many promising developments to report to families living 
with autism. Recently, I and Congressman Mike Doyle, who is the 
chairman of the Congressional Autism Council, hosted a briefing at 
which we heard from the Director of the National Institutes of Health, 
Dr. Thomas Insel. He told us about exciting research which is 
progressing in a number of areas. Expert researchers are studying 
causes, early intervention programs, strategies for older individuals 
with autism, and even potential cures.

                              {time}  1745

  In my State, thanks to the efforts of State Representative Cam Ward, 
we now have an Autism Task Force which is coordinating our State 
resources, and I know we patterned that after Pennsylvania, Congressman 
Gerlach.
  In conclusion, it's an honor to speak on behalf this resolution and 
of the children and parents and grandparents and loved ones of those 
with autism. It's a pleasure to work with many Members of Congress who 
care so deeply about this issue, including the lead cosponsors, 
Congressmen Reichert and Gerlach, along with Mr. Pitts from 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Doyle. Today's resolution has great 
meaning to millions of families across America affected by autism 
spectrum disorder.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PITTS. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.
  Mr. BACHUS. If it encourages parents to be more attentive to the 
symptoms of autism and to get early treatment for their children, we 
will have done a great service for their families.
  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. PITTS. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, my good friend Jim Gerlach.
  Mr. GERLACH. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and to thank my 
colleagues--Congressman Bachus, Congressman Reichert, Congressman 
Pitts, Congressman Smith, Congressman Doyle, Congressman Towns. Thank 
you for joining in support of this resolution to recognize April 2010 
as National Autism Awareness Month.
  As you may know, last December the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention released a report on the prevalence of autism. This report 
concluded that autism affects an estimated one out of every 110 
children in the United States, including one in 70 boys. This means 
that autism is more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes, 
and pediatric AIDS combined. In addition to being one of the most 
common disorders that affect our children, autism is believed to cost 
more than $90 billion a year to treat.
  Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare 
released its Pennsylvania Autism Census, which conducted a county-by-
county census on the number of individuals suffering from autism. The 
total number of individuals with autism in the Commonwealth is 
estimated to be over 25,000, including 3,500 adults with the disorder.
  Despite the prevalence of autism and its impact on individuals, 
families, and our Nation's health care system, there is still much to 
be learned about how best to diagnose and treat this disorder. That's 
why our resolution supports devoting resources toward researching the 
root causes of autism and identifying the best treatments and programs 
to help individuals with the disorder.
  Because autism affects the entire family, not just the child with the 
disorder, our resolution also commends the parents and relatives of 
children

[[Page 6423]]

with autism for their dedication in providing for their special needs. 
While there's no single cause known for autism, I believe we should 
focus our attention on increased awareness and funding for autism 
research. Our resolution is an important step in achieving our goal of 
searching for better treatments and hopefully, one day, a cure.
  Please join me and my colleagues in supporting this resolution.
  Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, more children will be diagnosed this 
year with autism than with diabetes, cancer, and AIDS combined. It is 
the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world.
  In fact, the United Nations General Assembly has gone so far as to 
adopt a resolution declaring April 2 as annual ``World Autism Awareness 
Day'' (WAAD). Autism is only the third disorder to be recognized in 
this manner by the UN, showing the disorder's pervasive nature and 
ever-increasing effect on millions of people throughout the world.
  Autism afflicts one in every 150 American children--nearly one in 
every 94 boys. This statistic is disturbing, especially when we know so 
little about the root causes of the disorder.
  As the Founder and co-chair of the Congressional Children's Health 
Care Caucus, I recognize the destructive force of autism and am proud 
to do my part to raise awareness of this life-altering and little known 
disorder. Children deserve a solid foundation--and communities are 
starting to understand autism like never before, but there is more we 
can do.
  By raising public awareness of autism, my goal is to see that 
resources are dedicated to research the disorder's cause and to develop 
treatments and possibly, one day, a cure. Funding for the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) is an important part of this equation, as it 
offers the best hope to finding treatments and cures for diseases and 
disorders like autism.
  Collectively, we must commit every available resource to research and 
treatment in order to enhance the quality of life for children, their 
families, and the people who care for and assist them in their lives.
  Currently there is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early 
diagnosis and intervention holds much promise. Through enhancing 
awareness of autism, together we will offer hope to people who 
desperately need it. I encourage my colleagues to join in this mission 
to raise awareness and recruit the resources that will bring hope to 
children, their families, and their caregivers.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
strong support for H. Res. 1033, supporting the designation of April of 
2010 as ``National Autism Awareness Month'' and supporting efforts to 
devote new resources to research into the causes and treatment of 
autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism 
and those who care for individuals with autism. I would also like to 
commend Congressman David Reichert, the sponsor of this resolution, for 
his commitment to improving training and supoort for individuals with 
autism and those who care for individuals with autism.
  This resolution draws critical attention to the impact that autism 
has on the people of the United States. Although only 1 percent of the 
population of children ages 3-17 in the U.S. have an autism spectrum 
disorder, the cost of autism over the lifespan is 3.2 million dollars 
per person. The effects of autism are widespread. Autism is the 
fastest-growing developmental disability with a 1,148 percent growth 
rate. There are 1 to 1.5 million Americans who live with an autism 
spectrum disorder.
  I have had the pleasure of visiting the Marcus Autism Center, near my 
district, where I was able to see and experience first hand just how 
crucial it is that families and children affected by autism are given 
the attention, support, and resources they need, The Marcus Autism 
Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide 
information, services and programs to children with autism and related 
disorders, their families and those who live and work with them. The 
Marcus Autism Center offers integrated advanced clinical, behavioral, 
educational and family support services. Through the encouragement and 
financial support of the Marcus family, Marcus Autism Center has become 
a nationally recognized center for excellence for the provision of 
coordinated and comprehensive services for children and adolescents 
with developmental disabilities. The Marcus Autism Center has served 
more than 30,000 people to date.
  Please join me and support this resolution to bring awareness to 
improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who 
care for individuals with autism in the United States.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 1033, a resolution designating April 2010 as ``Nation Autism 
Awareness Month.'' I thank my friends and colleagues, Representatives 
Reichert, Gerlach and Bachus for introducing this resolution--and my 
friend and co-chair of the House Autism Caucus, Mike Doyle.
  This resolution services an important function of increasing 
awareness of the 1.5 million individuals living with an autism spectrum 
disorder (ASD) and the extreme dedication and efforts of their families 
in providing the best possible care and environment for their children, 
grandchildren and brothers and sisters. Especially the parents and 
grandparents of individuals with autism deserve our enormous respect 
and support. Also deserving recognition are the many ASD advocacy 
groups who have been working hard for so long and the many providers of 
care and services for individuals with autism.
  From my first session in Congress in 1981, I have been a consistent 
advocate for individuals with developmental disorders, including 
autism. In 1998, I became much more deeply involved after learning and 
listening to parents in a local community in my district--Brick 
Township--about their concerns that the frequency of autism was much 
higher than was being reported by officials at the time. The concerns 
of those parents were validated for their community and have since been 
found to be true nationwide. As stated in the resolution before us, 
autism is now known to affect every 1 in 110 children--my own state of 
NJ has among the highest rates in the nation at 1 in 94.
  Autism generally is a life-long disability that can overwhelm 
families, as their lives become consumed with the considerable 
challenges of identifying appropriate biomedical and psychosocial 
treatments, schooling and other needed support systems for their 
autistic child--and eventually for an autistic adult.
  Our nation is in the midst of an autism crisis that becomes more 
severe each passing month, a crisis that costs our nation tens of 
billions of dollars annually in medical care, behavioral therapy, 
special child care, and a range of child and adult services needed to 
care for these individuals. The resolution before us provides the 
staggering financial costs of autism--$80,000 per year to provide 
specialized treatment in a medical center, $30,000 per child per year 
for special education services, and a nationwide costs of over $90 
billion per year.
  The resolution appropriately recognizes the critical importance of 
early diagnosis and early treatment for children with autism in order 
to have the greatest positive impact on their lives, and it recognizes 
the extremely important need to provide worker training for young 
adults and adults with autism so that they can active members of the 
workforce.
  Thankfully, Madam Speaker, in December 2006, this Congress passed and 
then President Bush signed the Combating Autism Act, which added 
significant provisions to broaden and strengthen activities related to 
autism. Among its provisions, that law requires the National Institutes 
of Health to expand ASD-related research--including investigating 
possible environmental causes of autism, authorizes grant programs to 
improve the epidemiology of autism, and also includes a very robust 
section ``Autism Education, Early Detection, and Intervention,'' to 
improve the early screening, diagnosis, interventions, and treatments 
for ASDs.
  While we all were gratified with passage of the Combating Autism Act, 
we also recognized that there is a tremendous unmet need to improve 
services for both children and adults with autism. That is why I am 
extremely gratified to have joined my friend Mike Doyle, along with 
Rep. Eliot Engel, in introducing, the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act 
(H.R. 2413), to provide for enhanced support, services and treatment, 
as well as research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and 
their families.
  To mention only two provisions of the bill--it would establish an 
Adult Services Demonstration Project to provide an array of services to 
adults with autism spectrum disorders including: post secondary 
education, vocational and self advocacy skills, employment; residential 
services, supports and housing; nutrition, health and wellness; 
recreational and social activities; and transportation and personal 
safety. And it would establish a ``National Network for Autism Spectrum 
Disorders Research and Services'' to strengthen linkages between 
research and service initiatives at the federal, regional, state and 
local levels, and facilitate the translation of research on autism into 
services and treatments.
  I know that all of us here share the commitment to dramatically 
improve the lives for the well over a million American children and 
adults who have an autism spectrum disorder

[[Page 6424]]

and improve the outlook for their families and other loved ones. I 
thank my friends Representatives Reichert, Gerlach and Bachus for 
introducing this resolution. And I thank my friend Mike Doyle for his 
leadership in establishing new programs to help individuals with 
autism.
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I hope that the House will unanimously 
approve House Resolution 1033, as amended, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1033, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Expressing 
support for designation of April 2010 as `National Autism Awareness 
Month' and supporting efforts to devote resources to research into the 
causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for 
individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with 
autism.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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