Gavin’s Journey

Make a CHANGE Today!

Visit www.change.gov to submit your ideas

It is time for aggressive action from the grassroots level. President-Elect Obama and the Transition team need to hear from ASA and our community in a VERY BIG way!

Please visit the Health Care page of http://www.change.gov/ and and advance the agenda to support individuals with autism and their families. The more people write in to tell the new administration their autism concerns, the bigger chance we have of improving the lives of all affected by autism.

Not sure what to write? Here’s a few things you could bring up:

Start off with a brief explanation why you are concerned and want things to change. 

I am the parent of a child with autism and I want my child to have happy and productive life just as any parent would want for their child.

Provide some facts such as:

Prevalence

• 1 in 150 U.S. children is diagnosed with autism. Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.
• 1.5 million Americans have an autism spectrum disorder

Diagnosis

• Less than a decade ago, the disease was diagnosed at age 3 or 4. Now it is routinely diagnosed at 2.
• Symptoms range from mild to severe. Many people with autism display rigid routines and repetitive behaviors.

Cost

• Lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism: $3.5 million to $5 million
• Annual U.S. cost: $90 billion

The explosion of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related disorders in the United States constitutes the largest health care crisis in our nation’s history.  It has been estimated that 1 in 150 children will be diagnosed with ASD, with recent data suggesting that as many as 1 in 67 boys are now affected.

Autism is the fastest growing disability in the country, now affecting an estimated 1.5 million individuals – more prevalent among our children than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. There are approximately 24,000 new cases of autism diagnosed each year.  Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism in the United States.

The alarming increase in autism spectrum disorders must be considered a national health emergency that requires the allocation of significant resources, aggressive research toward effective treatments for those affected, and rigorous investigation into causation for the protection of future generations. Equally important is to ensure that individuals affected by autism receive help TODAY.

Offer solutions, such as:

Legislative Agenda

Please support Expanding the Promise to Individuals with Autism Act.  This bill would provide adults the services they need to lead a productive and meaningful life. The Autism Society of America works to ensure that adults living with autism have access to appropriate employment, housing, and services. ASA chapters have been instrumental in developing job training programs and creating independent living or residential services opportunities for adults with autism.  This act will allow these programs to grow and serve more adults nationwide. 

Please support Full Funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Federal funding is $10.5 billion short of full funding this year leaving thousands of children without services. 

Pass this information on to family, friends, neighbors and anyone else you know who has an interest in improving the lives of all affected by autism.  Then, ask them to go to the site and do the same.  Together, we can create positive change!

As a parent of a child with Autism, this DISGUSTS ME and PISSES ME OFF!!!

ARTICLE SOURCE