Text: HR00041 Text: HR00043 Text: HR00000 - HR00099 Text: HR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY T. TAYLOR
1 3 A Resolution urging the Iowa Department of Education's
1 4 program, the Regional Autism Services program, to continue
1 5 compiling and maintaining yearly records regarding
1 6 individuals with autism and related disorders.
1 7 WHEREAS, autism is a developmental disorder that
1 8 typically affects a person's ability to communicate,
1 9 form relationships with others, and respond
1 10 appropriately to the environment; and
1 11 WHEREAS, some people with autism are relatively
1 12 high-functioning, with communicative speech and
1 13 intelligence a strength for a small percentage; others
1 14 may be nonverbal, and have cognitive delays ranging
1 15 from mild to severe; all appear to have difficulties
1 16 with social interaction to some degree and often
1 17 exhibit a narrow repertoire of interests and
1 18 abilities, showing repetitive behaviors and rigid
1 19 patterns of thinking that interfere with learning; and
1 20 WHEREAS, the medical diagnosis of autism is made
1 21 when a specified number of characteristics listed in
1 22 the DSM-IV or ICD-9 diagnostic tools, are present, in
1 23 ranges perhaps similar to significantly below the
1 24 child's age, and diagnosis usually occurs between the
1 25 ages three and five; and
1 26 WHEREAS, there are other pervasive developmental
1 27 disabilities, including Rett's Disorder, Childhood
1 28 Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and
1 29 Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise
1 30 Specified, each category of symptoms creating an
2 1 individualized set of social, learning, and behavioral
2 2 differences; and
2 3 WHEREAS, while there are no known specific causes
2 4 of these pervasive developmental disorders, some
2 5 research suggests that causes might include physical
2 6 problems affecting those parts of the brain that
2 7 process language and information received through the
2 8 senses, imbalances of certain chemicals in the brain,
2 9 and genetic factors; and
2 10 WHEREAS, autism may also result from a combination
2 11 of several causes, but factors in the psychological
2 12 environment of the child do not cause autism; and
2 13 WHEREAS, autism and associated disorders affect as
2 14 many as one in 500 individuals, according to the
2 15 United States Centers for Disease Control and
2 16 Prevention as of 1997; and
2 17 WHEREAS, autism is four times more prevalent in
2 18 boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social
2 19 boundaries, and family income, lifestyle, and
2 20 educational levels do not affect the chance of
2 21 autism's occurrence; and
2 22 WHEREAS, the autism prognosis is variable from
2 23 independent to various levels of supported living and
2 24 work, and may be compromised by associated conditions
2 25 including seizure disorder, mental retardation, Down's
2 26 Syndrome, or genetic disorders such as Fragile X
2 27 Syndrome, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, William's
2 28 Syndrome, or Tourette's Syndrome; and
2 29 WHEREAS, caring for and educating children and
2 30 adults with autism and related disorders often require
3 1 a considerable dedication of emotional and financial
3 2 resources by parents, caretakers, schools, community
3 3 providers, or community organizations; and
3 4 WHEREAS, the bipartisan Congressional Coalition for
3 5 Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) has been
3 6 formed with the goal of increasing autism awareness,
3 7 educating lawmakers and policymakers, providing a
3 8 forum in which autism issues can be debated and
3 9 discussed, and expanding federal research into autism
3 10 spectrum disorders; and
3 11 WHEREAS, to ensure that planning for the welfare
3 12 and development of persons with autism and related
3 13 disorders is more meaningful, need exists for the
3 14 Regional Autism Services program, a program supported
3 15 by school laws of Iowa through the Iowa Department of
3 16 Education to continue to collect data on the estimated
3 17 overall number of individuals with autism spectrum
3 18 disorders in the educational arena, supported by
3 19 Medicare Part B and Part C services; NOW THEREFORE,
3 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
3 21 That the members of Iowa's congressional delegation to
3 22 the United States House of Representatives are
3 23 encouraged to become a part of the Coalition for
3 24 Autism Research and Education.
3 25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon adoption, the
3 26 Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives shall send
3 27 a copy of this Resolution to Representatives Leonard
3 28 L. Boswell, Greg Ganske, Tom Latham, Jim Leach, and
3 29 Jim Nussle.
3 30 LSB 3677HH 79
4 1 vl/gg/8
Text: HR00041 Text: HR00043 Text: HR00000 - HR00099 Text: HR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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