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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control has reported that
3 one in 150 children born today will be diagnosed with an autism
4 spectrum disorder; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education has reported
6 that today there are more than twice as many children in
7 Illinois diagnosed with autism as there were only five years
8 ago; and
 
9     WHEREAS, It is estimated that only one of every ten
10 children with autism receives the level and type of services
11 recommended by the National Research Council in 2001; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Families of children with autism bear an enormous
13 financial burden of providing needed services and healthcare;
14 and
 
15     WHEREAS, Not-for-profit entities such as the Autism
16 Society of Illinois, Autism Speaks, and Giant Steps Illinois
17 promote through advocacy, public awareness, education, and
18 research, lifelong access and opportunities for persons within
19 the autism spectrum disorder and their families in order that
20 they may be fully included, participating members of their
21 communities; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Public entities such as the Illinois Autism
2 Training and Technical Assistance Project and private entities
3 like Giant Steps of Illinois provide educational and
4 therapeutic services to enable children with autism to achieve
5 their maximum potential and strive to improve a child's ability
6 to interact, communicate, and develop academic and daily life
7 skills; these groups work cooperatively with local school
8 districts to reintegrate students with autism into their home
9 school on a full-time or part-time basis based on the
10 individual needs of the student; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
13 name the month of April 2008 as Autism Awareness Month in the
14 State of Illinois, and we recognize and commend the parents and
15 caregivers of children and adults with autism for their
16 sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of
17 children with autism and for absorbing significant financial
18 costs for specialized education and support services; and be it
19 further
 
20     RESOLVED, That we support the following goals: increasing
21 State and federal funding for home and community based
22 services; Medicaid waiver programs that families can direct so
23 that their loved ones with autism can receive appropriate

 

 

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1 intervention, treatment, and support; expanding direct
2 supports and services for individuals with autism across their
3 life span so that they may have choices and individualized
4 supports, services, and living arrangements; promoting the use
5 of best practices in public schools; promoting understanding
6 and acceptance of the special needs of people with autism and
7 their families; promoting the full inclusion of persons with
8 autism in our communities; and increasing federal and private
9 funding for research to learn the root causes of autism and to
10 explore potential biomedical treatments for autism; and be it
11 further
 
12     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
13 presented to the Autism Society of Illinois, Autism Speaks
14 Illinois, the Illinois Autism Training and Technical
15 Assistance Project, and Giant Steps of Illinois.