Combating Autism Act

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President Bush signed the Combating Autism Act into law today! See http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases ... 219-3.html for details. This act addresses ALL of the Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger's Syndrome. The main thing this act accomplishes is allocation of funding for Autism research, although it also aims to increase awareness. The one thing about this act that disappoints me is that advocates had to cut out the part about funding for adult services in order to get the act passed. Some Republican senator from Texas with power absolutely refused to allow it to pass otherwise. Unfortunately funding for adult services remains sparse to non-existent. I think the public will have to address that soon, though, since the wave of people who were diagnosed with Autism or AS as children are now entering adulthood.

I still consider it a major step forward.

BTW, was it Senator Cornyn or Senator Hutchison that tried to strike it down?

Tim

"" Look's like most is going to the research in finding what causes autism & the drugs...""

And how come they can only est?

correct me if I am wrong about them place's been a research center...

I couldn't remember so I had to look it up in the article I originally read about it- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15792805/site/newsweek/. Apparently it was actually a member of the House of Representatives, not a senator, who opposed the act. My mistake. It was Texas Republican Joe Barton, chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Yep, Barton is one of the tougher ones.

Tim

I need:
1.100,000+ aspies.
2.5000 pickup trucks.
3.Millions worth of ammo and weaponry.

And effective training for the troops.

So will they buy a town in Iowa for us to take over? That would be a nice start.

Before people go blaming/crediting Joe Barton with forcing the eradication of the adult services clause, reread the issue.
Joe Barton of Texas wanted a bit about environmental causes/correlations with autism taken out. Most of the Act is about allocating money to find the cause of autism. This is above and beyond the recent passing of the Defense Budget with a special addendum dedicated to autism research.

Apparently, there were various other parts to the Act addressing adult services. Activists, not politicians, demanded that they be taken out because they were afraid the Act wouldn't get passed with them dragging it down. Activists!

Activists then pounded Barton when he held out.

As long as you could get some kind of an economy going, this just might work. If not an outright givaway, you could probably get grants and very favorable loan terms to assuage their guilty consciences.

I don't think anybody has questioned whether autistic kids grow up to be autistic adults. If you could convince them it was realistic, it would seem to them like a good investment.

The hutterites do pretty well farming the northern plains in montana and alberta. I don't think I'd like their religion and social organization, but there might be a lot of value to learn about their farming methods.

Probably would also be possible to establish some technology type stuff, who knows what else.

Obviously, there would be problems, but we've got those anyway. I think it just might work.

Oh, more federal government waste and overreaching. Boo. Between this and the bridge.

Yes - apparently it was a consortium of curebie activitsts that demanded over 30 pages drafted for adult services be removed from the bill because they thought that would compete with all the research money they want to eradicate autism. And the senator from Texas was very right to be concerned about what this money was going to be used for.

It seems like Autism isn't that bad. AS certainly isn't. Why don't they treat the comorbid items as what they are, THEMSELVES, and get funding for THAT!

Mental retardation
Nerve Damage
Physical disabilities

As for the sensory issues? ENFORCE CURRENT LAWS about noise and air polution.
As for the learning problems? ENFORCE CURRENT LAWS requiring TEACHING!

So that leaves the quirks and possible benefits. People should be able to live with that ESPECIALLY as more know about them, etc...

And much of this stuff could be done like TOMORROW with a net SAVINGS!

Steve