Full Text of HJR0003 94th General Assembly
HJ0003 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HJ0003 |
|
LRB094 05065 HSS 35101 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The Autism Society of America, Cure Autism Now, | 3 |
| the National Alliance for Autism Research, Unlocking Autism, | 4 |
| the Autism Society of Illinois, Giant Steps of Illinois, and | 5 |
| numerous other organizations commemorate April as National | 6 |
| Autism Awareness Month; and
| 7 |
| WHEREAS, Autism is a developmental disorder that is | 8 |
| typically diagnosed during the first 3 years of life, robbing | 9 |
| individuals of their ability to communicate and interact with | 10 |
| others; and
| 11 |
| WHEREAS, Autism affects an estimated 1 in every 250 | 12 |
| children in America; and
| 13 |
| WHEREAS, Autism is 4 times more likely in boys than in | 14 |
| girls, and can affect anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or | 15 |
| other factors; and
| 16 |
| WHEREAS, The cost of specialized treatment in a | 17 |
| developmental center for people with autism is approximately | 18 |
| $80,000 per individual per year; and
| 19 |
| WHEREAS, The cost of special education programs for | 20 |
| school-aged children with autism is often more than $30,000 per | 21 |
| individual per year; and
| 22 |
| WHEREAS, The cost nationally of caring for persons affected | 23 |
| by autism is estimated at more than $90,000,000,000 per year; | 24 |
| and
| 25 |
| WHEREAS, Despite the fact that autism is one of the most | 26 |
| common developmental disorders, many professionals in the | 27 |
| medical and educational fields are still unaware of the best | 28 |
| methods to diagnose and treat the disorder; and |
|
|
|
HJ0003 |
- 2 - |
LRB094 05065 HSS 35101 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, Public and private entities including Giant Steps | 2 |
| of Illinois provide educational and therapeutic services to | 3 |
| enable children with autism to achieve their maximum potential | 4 |
| and strive to improve a child's ability to interact, | 5 |
| communicate, and develop academic and daily life skills; the | 6 |
| group works cooperatively with local school districts to | 7 |
| reintegrate students with autism into their home school on a | 8 |
| full-time or part-time basis based on the individual needs of | 9 |
| the student; therefore, be it
| 10 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 11 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 12 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we name the month of April 2005 | 13 |
| as Autism Awareness Month in the State of Illinois, and we | 14 |
| recognize and commend the parents and relatives of children | 15 |
| with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for | 16 |
| the special needs of children with autism and for absorbing | 17 |
| significant financial costs for specialized education and | 18 |
| support services; and be it further | 19 |
| RESOLVED, That we support the goal of increasing federal, | 20 |
| State, and private funding for aggressive research to learn the | 21 |
| root causes of autism, identify the best methods of early | 22 |
| intervention and treatment, expand programs for individuals | 23 |
| with autism across their lifespan, and promote understanding of | 24 |
| the special needs of people with autism; and be it further
| 25 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 26 |
| presented to the Autism Society of Illinois and Giant Steps of | 27 |
| Illinois.
|
|