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1
SENATE 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 promote through advocacy, public
17 awareness, education, and research, lifelong access and
18 opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum disorder
19 and their families in order that they may be fully included,
20 participating members of their 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 SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we name the month of
13 April 2007 as Autism Awareness Month in the State of Illinois,
14 and we recognize and commend the parents and caregivers of
15 children and adults with autism for their sacrifice and
16 dedication in providing for the special needs of children with
17 autism and for absorbing significant financial costs for
18 specialized education and support services; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That we support the following goals: increasing
20 State and federal funding for home and community based
21 services; Medicaid waiver programs that families can direct so
22 that their loved ones with autism can receive appropriate
23 intervention, treatment, and support; expanding direct
24 supports and services for individuals with autism across their

 

 

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