As a result of autism, an estimated 400,000 Americans have lost the ability to communicate and interact with others.  In my home state of Rhode Island, autism had become an absolute crisis.  The incidence of the disorder has risen by over 1000% in the past seven years, and by over 300% in the past five years alone.

Caring for people afflicted with autism costs more than $13 billion per year, and the majority of these costs are borne by the families of the victims of autism.  These parents have sacrificed tremendously to provide the specialized education and support services that their children need.  Yet, they still do not receive the support they deserve from the government. 

My nephew has a form of autism so I know firsthand the challenges these families face.  Many days, my nephew’s parents cannot hold conversations with their son.  Communicating with him takes extraordinary patience.  Had his parents not engaged him in an intensive intervention program immediately after his diagnosis, he would have made much less progress today.   It was not many years ago that children with autism would have been misdiagnosed and often institutionalized for the rest of their lives. 

Parents of autistic children regularly encounter people who do not understand the difficulties associated with autism.  Friends and teachers become impatient.  They repeat the same phrase over and over, as if the child will understand if it is repeated one more time.  Teachers are often ill-equipped to deal with the special challenges of autistic children.  H. Con. Res. 91 calls upon federal, state and local governments to allocate sufficient resources to alleviate the shortage of appropriately trained teachers of autistic children; and recognizes the importance of worker training programs tailored to the needs of developmentally disabled persons, including those with autism.

The resolution further expresses Congress' support for increasing federal funding for research to learn the causes of autism, identify the best methods of early intervention and treatment, and promote understanding of the special needs of autistic persons.  It urges swift implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000, particularly the establishment of at least three "centers of excellence" at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at least five centers at the National Institutes of Health, in order to monitor the prevalence of autism at the national level. 

As a proud member of the Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E), I will fight for increases in support this year, to correct years of under-funding of organizations and programs that deal with autism issues.

In addition, the federal government must honor its promise to contribute up to 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for special needs funding. To date, the maximum the government has ever contributed is 15 percent,.  As an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1330, the Helping Children Succeed by Fully Funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, I am fighting to ensure that the federal government honors its commitment to local districts.

It is of utmost importance to me that the federal government keep its promise to special needs students so they receive the first class education they deserve.  I commend my colleagues for honoring this special day and implore them to work together to guarantee that the national crisis called autism receives the critical attention and financial support it merits.