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SR0168 |
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LRB095 12091 GRL 35954 r |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control has reported that |
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| one in 150 children born today will be diagnosed with an autism |
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| spectrum disorder; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education has reported |
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| that today there are more than twice as many children in |
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| Illinois diagnosed with autism as there were only five years |
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| ago; and
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| WHEREAS, It is estimated that only one of every ten |
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| children with autism receives the level and type of services |
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| recommended by the National Research Council in 2001; and
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| WHEREAS, Families of children with autism bear an enormous |
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| financial burden of providing needed services and healthcare; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Not-for-profit entities such as the Autism |
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| Society of Illinois promote through advocacy, public |
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| awareness, education, and research, lifelong access and |
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| opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum disorder |
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| and their families in order that they may be fully included, |
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| participating members of their communities; and
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SR0168 |
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LRB095 12091 GRL 35954 r |
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| WHEREAS, Public entities such as the Illinois Autism |
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| Training and Technical Assistance Project and private entities |
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| like Giant Steps of Illinois provide educational and |
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| therapeutic services to enable children with autism to achieve |
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| their maximum potential and strive to improve a child's ability |
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| to interact, communicate, and develop academic and daily life |
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| skills; these groups work cooperatively with local school |
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| districts to reintegrate students with autism into their home |
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| school on a full-time or part-time basis based on the |
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| individual needs of the student; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL |
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| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we name the month of |
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| April 2007 as Autism Awareness Month in the State of Illinois, |
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| and we recognize and commend the parents and caregivers of |
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| children and adults with autism for their sacrifice and |
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| dedication in providing for the special needs of children with |
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| autism and for absorbing significant financial costs for |
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| specialized education and support services; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That we support the following goals: increasing |
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| State and federal funding for home and community based |
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| services; Medicaid waiver programs that families can direct so |
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| that their loved ones with autism can receive appropriate |
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| intervention, treatment, and support; expanding direct |
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| supports and services for individuals with autism across their |
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SR0168 |
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LRB095 12091 GRL 35954 r |
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| life span so that they may have choices and individualized |
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| supports, services, and living arrangements; promoting the use |
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| of best practices in public schools; promoting understanding |
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| and acceptance of the special needs of people with autism and |
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| their families; promoting the full inclusion of persons with |
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| autism in our communities; and increasing federal and private |
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| funding for research to learn the root causes of autism and to |
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| explore potential biomedical treatments for autism; and be it |
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| further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| presented to the Autism Society of Illinois, the Illinois |
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| Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project and Giant |
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| Steps of Illinois.
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