Legal Lillypad
Visit Dr. David Berger's website (www.wholisticpeds.com) and click on lectures to view the following presentations:
1. Power Point Presentation: Vaccines, Adverse Reactions, and the Florida Law
2. Full Video: "The Biological Plausibility of a Relationship Between Vaccines and Autism", Florida Autism Task Force, September 2008
3. Power Point Presentation: "The Biological Plausibility of a Relationship Between Vaccines and Autism", Florida Autism Task Force, September 2008
Comprehensive Autism Legislation Introduced in U.S. House
Friday, May 15, 2009
By: Carin Yavorcik
Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 Would Improve Quality of Life
On May 14, the Co-Chairs of the Coalition on Autism Research and Education, Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), along with Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) introduced the Autism Treatment and Acceleration Act of 2009 (ATAA). The Autism Society applauds this comprehensive autism legislation focused around enhancing the quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.
"This is the bill we have been waiting on for generations," said Lee Grossman, President and CEO of the Autism Society. "The adult services focus, care centers, national teacher training, and insurance components of this bill will complement and strengthen the important research currently underway. Moreover, this bill creates opportunities for states to develop solutions that are locally driven and relevant. As an advocate, and as a father, my heartfelt thanks go to Representatives Doyle, Smith, Engel and Johnson for their efforts to help the millions of Americans affected by autism today."
The Autism Society especially applauds the inclusion of support services for adults on the autism spectrum in this bill. Currently, the federal government provides for educational services until age 21; however, autism is a lifelong disorder, and when the school bus stops coming, individuals and families are often left to fend for themselves. ATAA creates a 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.
“By the sustained efforts of countless dedicated advocates, in recent years we have seen some desperately needed gains in funding for autism research, but resources for service programs to help individuals with autism and their families have been severely lacking,” Congressman Smith said. “This bill will finally move us toward closing many of the gaping holes in services with initiatives to translate research into effective programs, increase access to and quality of care and begin demonstration programs to figure out how to effectively address the needs of adults with autism.”
The legislation would also provide for the establishment of a national network 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 would be created to share emerging data, findings and treatment models.
Other key aspects of the bill include:
the establishment of a national training initiative on autism and a technical assistance center to develop and expand interdisciplinary training and continuing education on autism spectrum disorders; and
a requirement that health insurers cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, assistive communication devices and other effective treatments.
“For far too long, families dealing with autism spectrum disorders have been denied the help that they need from the federal government and private health insurers,” Congressman Doyle said today. “I’ve been working as co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus for years to eliminate those shortcomings, and I’m pleased to join my colleagues here in the House and Senators Durbin and Casey in the Senate in introducing legislation that would go a long way toward ensuring that individuals with autism get the services they need.”
The Autism Society needs your help in order to help pass this critical legislation. Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor the bill. We’ve composed an e-mail describing all the vital aspects of this bill but it will be especially effective if you add your own story describing how ATAA would help you and your family.
The time to act is now. Please support this important issue today, and urge your friends to take action as well. Together, we can improve the quality of live for individuals with autism across the lifespan.
http://www.autism-society.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13649&news_iv_ctrl=1882
