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 au-
tism 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;
HCON 91 RFS
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 school-
aged 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 com-
mon 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 by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) supports the goals and ideas of Autism
Awareness Day and Month;
(2) recognizes and commends the parents and
relatives of autistic children for their sacrifice and
dedication in providing for the special needs of their
HCON 91 RFS
autistic children and absorbing significant financial
costs for specialized education and support services;
(3) supports the goal of increasing Federal
funding for aggressive research to learn the root
causes of autism, identify the best methods of early
intervention and treatment, and promote under-
standing of the special needs of autistic persons;
(4) urges the Department of Health and
Human Services to continue to press for the swift
and full implementation of the Children’s Health Act
of 2000, particularly the establishment of not less
than three ‘‘Centers of Excellence’’ at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and not less
than five ‘‘Centers of Excellence’’ at the National
Institutes of Health, in order to monitor the preva-
lence of autism at a national level, leading to a bet-
ter understanding of autism and related disorders;
(5) stresses the need to begin early intervention
services soon after a child has been diagnosed with
autism, noting that early intervention strategies, in-
cluding Applied Behavioral Analysis, are the primary
therapeutic options for young autistic persons;
(6) supports the goal of federally funding 40
percent of the costs of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act to States and local school dis-
HCON 91 RFS
tricts, recognizing that the inadequacy of this fund-
ing has adversely affected the ability of school dis-
tricts to appropriately respond to the rising number
of autism cases in our schools;
(7) urges Federal, State, and local governments
to allocate sufficient resources to teacher training
initiatives to alleviate the shortage of appropriately
trained teachers that have the skills and support
necessary to teach, assist, and respond to the special
needs of autistic students in our school systems; and
(8) recognizes the importance of worker train-
ing programs that are tailored to the needs of devel-
opmentally disabled persons, including those with
autism, and notes that autistic persons can be, and
are, productive members of the workforce if they are
given appropriate support, training, and early inter-
vention services.
Passed the House of Representatives May 1, 2001.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.
By MARTHA C. MORRIS,
Deputy Clerk.