HR0314 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0314 LRB099 11550 GRL 32979 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders can affect all individuals regardless of racial, ethnic, economic, and social groups; and

WHEREAS, About 1 in 7 children in the United States had a developmental disability in the period of 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism; and

WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders are more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined; and

WHEREAS, Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have identified individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, with an average prevalence of about 1%; a recent study in South Korea reported a prevalence of 2.6%; and

WHEREAS, About 1 in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, according to estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network; and

WHEREAS, The cause of autism spectrum disorders is still unknown, but research strongly suggests that it is caused by certain factors that affect brain development; and

WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders have increased tenfold in the last decade and now occurs in some form in 1 in 42 boys in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Autism, which is five times more common among boys than girls, usually appears during the first three years of life; and

WHEREAS, Early diagnosis, research, training, education, and therapies are vital to reducing the effects of autism; and

WHEREAS, Current research suspects that there is not a single cause that will ultimately be discovered, but rather a cluster of factors which include genetics, pregnancy/birth complications, viral infections, metabolic disorders, congenital anomaly syndrome (birth defects), and environmental toxins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate April of 2015 and 2016 as Autism Awareness Month in the State of Illinois for the purpose of urging both government entities and the citizenry to become aware and educated on the subject of autism spectrum disorders.