|
|
|
|
HR0334 |
|
LRB095 11964 GRL 35355 r |
|
|
| 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 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
|
|
|
|
HR0334 |
- 2 - |
LRB095 11964 GRL 35355 r |
|
|
| 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 2007 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 |
| 24 |
| intervention, treatment, and support; expanding direct |
|
|
|
HR0334 |
- 3 - |
LRB095 11964 GRL 35355 r |
|
|
| 1 |
| supports and services for individuals with autism across their |
| 2 |
| life span so that they may have choices and individualized |
| 3 |
| supports, services, and living arrangements; promoting the use |
| 4 |
| of best practices in public schools; promoting understanding |
| 5 |
| and acceptance of the special needs of people with autism and |
| 6 |
| their families; promoting the full inclusion of persons with |
| 7 |
| autism in our communities; and increasing federal and private |
| 8 |
| funding for research to learn the root causes of autism and to |
| 9 |
| explore potential biomedical treatments for autism; and be it |
| 10 |
| further
|
| 11 |
| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| 12 |
| presented to the Autism Society of Illinois, the Illinois |
| 13 |
| Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project and Giant |
| 14 |
| Steps of Illinois.
|