Dear Friend,
Recently, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new report, once again, placing
Utah’s Autism rate above the national average. The report identifies one in 54 Utah children with
autism, whereas the national average is one in 68. Nationally,boys are five times more likely to be identified with autism than girls.
Early detection of autism can
be crucial for intervention and treatment, as early treatment can dramatically
improve outcomes. Some early signs of potential autism that parents may want
to look for include:
• No big smiles or other
warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
As your representative in Congress, and a member of the Autism Caucus in the House of Representatives, I recognize the need to support programs for research and treatment of autism, as well as the importance of improving training and support for individuals with autism and their caregivers. In addition, I support responsible and reasonable federal funding for medical research which has long proven the key to breakthroughs in treatment and effective care. That is why I cosponsored and supported the passage of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011. This bill, which was signed into law in 2011, coordinates and intensifies federal research on autism, promotes early detection and awareness, and provides responsible funding for autism research.
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
As your representative in Congress, and a member of the Autism Caucus in the House of Representatives, I recognize the need to support programs for research and treatment of autism, as well as the importance of improving training and support for individuals with autism and their caregivers. In addition, I support responsible and reasonable federal funding for medical research which has long proven the key to breakthroughs in treatment and effective care. That is why I cosponsored and supported the passage of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011. This bill, which was signed into law in 2011, coordinates and intensifies federal research on autism, promotes early detection and awareness, and provides responsible funding for autism research.
However, research into future
breakthroughs is only part of the solution. Approximately 1 percent of the U.S.
is thought to have an autism spectrum disorder. Caring for a child with autism
can be expensive, and these costs do not simply end when the child becomes an
adult – far from it. Many of these children will be, or are, becoming adults.
These Americans typically have a higher unemployment rate than others across the country,
despite wanting to work. This can only further exacerbate the cost issues
associated with autism.
In order to help alleviate
some of these difficulties, I am a proud cosponsor of The Achieving a Better
Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2013 (H.R.647). This bill allows the creation of tax-exempt
ABLE accounts. Similar to a college savings account, ABLE accounts would work
to assist individuals to save money to pay for some of life’s expenses
including education, transportation, housing, and assistive technology.
Allowing for tax advantaged savings accounts can not only reduce difficulties
on individuals, but also on family members and caregivers, as they would not
count against an individual’s eligibility for disability benefits. Under
current law, individuals can lose these benefits if their savings accounts
exceed $2,000, which can be a major disincentive for seeking gainful employment
or responsibly saving money for the future. This bill would eliminate that
disincentive and hopefully better allow for individuals with autism to live
their lives as they see fit.
While I recognize that
legislative efforts are only a beginning to addressing the challenges that
autism poses for individuals, families, and caregivers, I am hopeful that we
can take a valuable step forward in improving the diagnosis and treatment of
autism.
Sincerely,
U.S. Representative
4th District of Utah
