[ASAN] Thank You! Congress Got the Message!

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On November 29th, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will be holding a hearing on autism. Invited witnesses include people from government agencies, parent autism advocacy organizations, AND Autistic self-advocacy organizations. We are pleased to report that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform staff have just reached out to us to invite Autistic representation to this Thursday's hearing.

Thanks to all of you for making your voices heard and to the House Committee for hearing the message Nothing About Us, Without Us! Whether you faxed letters of support for Autistic representation at the upcoming hearing or signed our petition, your voice has been heard. Now Autistic voices will be heard as well. ASAN President Ari Ne'eman has been invited as one of not one but TWO Autistic witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing.

The journey doesn't end there. Come join us in showing support to Autistic people speaking! We'll be gathering together at the Rayburn House Office, Room 2154 on the day of the hearing. The hearing itself will begin at 2 PM, but as we anticipate a packed room ASAN will begin gathering besides the door to the hearing at 11 AM. RSVP via our Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/114604915369188/

You made this happen!

Regards,

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://autisticadvocacy.org/

I'd like to offer congratuations to ASAN for securing this oppertunity to speak before the Committee.

Here is a link to the PDF copy of ASAN's prepared testimony.

http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/u ... nd-TnT.pdf

"Of the approximately $217 million dollars that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invested in autism research in 2010 (the
most recent year for which data is available), only a meager 2.45% went towards improving the quality of services and supports
available to Autistic people and our families. Only 1.5% went towards research that addresses the needs of Autistic adults. When
compared to research on questions of causation, etiology and biology and diagnosis, the percentage of the autism research agenda
focused on the actual needs of Autistic people in order to improve their quality of life is miniscule. We are pro-research, but the
research agenda must be re-balanced to incorporate both causation and quality of life."