Recognizing World Autism Day

Floor Speech

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize World Autism Day in an effort to increase awareness about one of the most common mental disorders afflicting our country today. Autism is becoming an increasingly common disorder; more and more children in America and throughout the world are born with it every day. The first step toward treating this incurable condition is recognition. Therefore, I rise today in support of World Autism Day and to help shed light on this growing and very serious problem.

The statistics concerning autism are, to say the least, alarming. One in 150 children born today is diagnosed with autism. One in 94 newborn boys is now autistic. In fact, today alone there will be approximately 67 new cases of autism diagnosed. That translates to a new diagnosis every 20 minutes. These are incredibly alarming numbers and we must recognize that this disorder is increasingly common and also that, while there is no cure, the quicker we identify what the problem is, the quicker we can act. We may not yet be able to cure autism, but with a strong commitment from the Federal Government we can create better lives for the growing number of children that are afflicted with this condition.

There is no medical way to detect autism in a child. We must rely on a physician's trained eye to diagnose a child as autistic, and even then we cannot cure it, we can only treat it. There are various symptoms that indicate autism that a physician must recognize. This is why awareness and education are so important.

Today, I would like to recognize the efforts of doctors, advocates and families on World Autism Day and also bring attention to the shocking frequency with which autism is diagnosed. Therefore, I rise today to recognize World Autism Day, to commend those working toward education, treatment and some day a cure and to offer my support for these efforts.

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