III

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 91

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 2, 2001

Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and

Pensions

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of the

autism spectrum disorder, and supporting programs for

greater research and improved treatment of autism and

improved training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for them.

Whereas the Autism Society of America, Cure Autism Now,

the National Alliance for Autism Research, Unlocking

Autism, and numerous other organizations commemorate

April 27 as Autism Awareness Day and April as Autism

Awareness Month;

Whereas autism is a developmental disorder that is typically

diagnosed during the first three years of life;
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Whereas autism has robbed at least 400,000 Americans of

their ability to communicate and interact with others;

Whereas autism affects at least 1 in every 500 children in

America;

Whereas autism is 4 times more likely 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 autistic persons is approximately $80,000 per

individual per year;

Whereas the cost of special education programs for schoolaged 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 more than $13 billion 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

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) supports the goals and ideas of Autism

4 Awareness Day and Month;

5 (2) recognizes and commends the parents and

6 relatives of autistic children for their sacrifice and

7 dedication in providing for the special needs of their
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1 autistic children and absorbing significant financial

2 costs for specialized education and support services;

3 (3) supports the goal of increasing Federal

4 funding for aggressive research to learn the root

5 causes of autism, identify the best methods of early

6 intervention and treatment, and promote under7 standing of the special needs of autistic persons;

8 (4) urges the Department of Health and

9 Human Services to continue to press for the swift

10 and full implementation of the Children’s Health Act

11 of 2000, particularly the establishment of not less

12 than three ‘‘Centers of Excellence’’ at the Centers

13 for Disease Control and Prevention and not less

14 than five ‘‘Centers of Excellence’’ at the National

15 Institutes of Health, in order to monitor the preva16 lence of autism at a national level, leading to a bet17 ter understanding of autism and related disorders;

18 (5) stresses the need to begin early intervention

19 services soon after a child has been diagnosed with

20 autism, noting that early intervention strategies, in21 cluding Applied Behavioral Analysis, are the primary

22 therapeutic options for young autistic persons;

23 (6) supports the goal of federally funding 40

24 percent of the costs of the Individuals with Disabil25 ities Education Act to States and local school dis-
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1 tricts, recognizing that the inadequacy of this fund2 ing has adversely affected the ability of school dis3 tricts to appropriately respond to the rising number

4 of autism cases in our schools;

5 (7) urges Federal, State, and local governments

6 to allocate sufficient resources to teacher training

7 initiatives to alleviate the shortage of appropriately

8 trained teachers that have the skills and support

9 necessary to teach, assist, and respond to the special

10 needs of autistic students in our school systems; and

11 (8) recognizes the importance of worker train12 ing programs that are tailored to the needs of devel13 opmentally disabled persons, including those with

14 autism, and notes that autistic persons can be, and

15 are, productive members of the workforce if they are

16 given appropriate support, training, and early inter17 vention services.

Passed the House of Representatives May 1, 2001.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.

By MARTHA C. MORRIS,

Deputy Clerk.