6 Autism Bills to go to NJ State Assembly
February 13, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
In the wake of the CDC’s announcement last Thursday that the prevalence rate for autism in children in New Jersey is 1 in 94, six measures that “would propel New Jersey to the forefront of the autism crisis by adding millions of dollars for research and a slew of services lasting a lifetime ” are to be introduced in New Jersey’s State Assembly as early as next week. As reported in today’s Bergen Record, Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, D-Camden, “spearheaded” work on the bills back in the early fall of 2006. The legislation includes:
- Add $4 million annually to the research and clinical funding grants distributed in-state by the Governor’s Council on Autism. The council has already awarded about $10 million.
- Establish a panel on autistic adults, including those who have the disorder and representatives from state government.
- Require pediatricians to screen for autism and compel health officials to maintain a statewide registry of cases.
- Make autism awareness a requirement for teacher certification and train emergency workers to recognize the disorder.
The Bergen Record estimates that about 14,000 persons aged 3-21 in New Jersey have autism. Funding for the proposals would primarily come from additions to the state budget, in addition to federal grants.
Whether or not you think that there is an epidemic of autism specifically in New Jersey, in general throughout the US, or that there is no epidemic of autism, an increase in legislation and funding for teaching all New Jersey teachers about autism and for providing for the needs of autistic adults (among other provisions) signals that there is an “epidemic of attention on autism” that I hope will not be a temporary phenomenon.
“the prevalence rate for autism in children in New Jersey is 1 in 194″
Should that be 1 in 101 or something closer to that?
Let us hope that this “epidemic of attention to autism” remains positive, and we don’t have a backlash of people decrying the “wasting” of money on the disabled.
My error, thanks Mike!
It’s all $$$ wisely spent—hope others can understand this.
I don’t like the crisis language, but I do like where theyre going with this.
Maybe in a few years Charlie can communicate to them that he isn’t a crisis, and his needs and wants for his future. His family is sure doing their best to give him the tools to do that, and he is already an engaging young man.
I read The Record today and I was kind of struck by number 3 on the list: Require pediatricians to screen for autism…. Um, isn’t that what they’re supposed to do? Isn’t a large part of pediatrics noticing developmental “markers.” I do recall my pediatrician poo-pooing my concerns with the catch phrase “all children develop differently.” Blah blah blah. If a pediatrician is not going to notice autism (which they don’t), who will???? If the state of New Jersey pays them extra money, they’ll notice? It’s absurd when you think about it. The physicians we put our children’s health in the hands of are clueless. The implication is that unless mandated by the state, autism is not the business of a pediatrician?