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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders can affect all
3individuals regardless of racial, ethnic, economic, and social
4groups; and
 
5    WHEREAS, About 1 in 7 children in the United States had a
6developmental disability in the period of 2006-2008, ranging
7from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments
8to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual
9disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders are more common than
11pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Studies in Asia, Europe, and North America have
13identified individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, with
14an average prevalence of about 1%; a recent study in South
15Korea reported a prevalence of 2.6%; and
 
16    WHEREAS, About 1 in 68 children has been identified with an
17autism spectrum disorder, according to estimates from CDC's
18Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The cause of autism spectrum disorders is still
20unknown, but research strongly suggests that it is caused by

 

 

HR0314- 2 -LRB099 11550 GRL 32979 r

1certain factors that affect brain development; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorders have increased tenfold
3in the last decade and now occurs in some form in 1 in 42 boys
4in the United States; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Autism, which is five times more common among boys
6than girls, usually appears during the first three years of
7life; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Early diagnosis, research, training, education,
9and therapies are vital to reducing the effects of autism; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Current research suspects that there is not a
11single cause that will ultimately be discovered, but rather a
12cluster of factors which include genetics, pregnancy/birth
13complications, viral infections, metabolic disorders,
14congenital anomaly syndrome (birth defects), and environmental
15toxins; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18designate April of 2015 and 2016 as Autism Awareness Month in
19the State of Illinois for the purpose of urging both government
20entities and the citizenry to become aware and educated on the
21subject of autism spectrum disorders.