A Call for Autism Legislation that Would Help Research and Pay for Therapy

1 in 150 children is currently diagnosed with Autism. 80% of their parents will divorce. I've never seen anything more difficult for parents to deal with, and it's an epidemic. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than cancer, diabetes and aids combined. Children are usually diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 3. Therapy provides the most help before the age of 5. For families who can't afford the intensive therapy required, there is some state funding available but the waiting list is sometimes three years to receive it. The math is painful. I'm not a proponent of big government spending, but I see dire need here. If there's ever been a time that our tax dollars are needed to help, it's now. These families simply can't be told to wait. They need assistance right now. By the time I've written this, 4 more families will have gotten the diagnosis and not know where to turn for help.

I've heard it said that a mother is only as happy as her most miserable child. 1 in 150 mothers and fathers right now are at their wit's end. Autistic people aren't usually miserable, but they are extremely challenged in a multitude of ways. Autism is also called PDD - pervasive developmental disorder - in other words, it effects one's entire being. It is a neurological disorder that effects digestion, immune system health, learning, language, sensitivity to everything (light, sound, people, texture etc.) social ability, cognitive skills, and the list is really endless. No one is sure what the cause or causes of autism are. Some believe it to be genetic and others believe that it's caused by environmental factors. It could be a combination of both; perhaps some of us are genetically predisposed to be adversely effected by environmental toxins. One girl I know with Autism showed signs from very early on - from about 9 months. Other children develop normally for a year or two before regressing into Autism. Some parents are convinced that vaccinations are what have caused this type of autism, although no definitive research has proven this.

I'm making a call out to everyone, and mainly to our congress people. We need to pass some legislation immediately that provides financial help for therapy for families affected by autism. We need to spend money on researching therapy for autism. We need to spend money on autism research to find out why in the world so many of our children are developing Autism. Write your congress people today and tell them that every minute before legislation gets passed regarding this matter is a harrowing minute. You can get your congress people's info at this website: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

If you want more information on autism or if you want to donate to Autism Speaks, there is a wonderful website you can visit:

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

Let's get the word out.