Recognizing the Importance of Increasing Awareness of Autism

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING AWARENESS OF AUTISM -- (House of Representatives - May 05, 2004)

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 605) recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of autism, supporting programs for increased research and improved treatment of autism, improving training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism, and for other purposes, as amended.

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Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 605. Frankly, I think there are probably many of us here who have personal testimonials. Everyone in Congress probably has friends who have a child who is autistic.

If one were to see Jacob Nolan Hirschfeld on the baseball diamond today, you might be impressed with his skills in playing our national pastime. Since his middle name was inspired by the great pitcher Nolan Ryan, you might also think his success on the field was destined. But Jacob's ability to play baseball and do everyday such things, such as attending school and playing with friends, was never guaranteed. Jacob Hirschfeld has been diagnosed with autism. He struggles with many of the issues common among the autistic. At 4 years of age, he could only speak in one syllable words. He was scared of loud noises and bright lights. He had many of the compulsions that are common with these children and was fearful of most people outside of his immediate family.

Jacob's father, Mark Hirschfeld, a friend of mine, has said "our family was literally a prisoner to autism." Jacob's diagnosis was devastating to his parents, but even more difficult was the fact that physicians, educators, and other professionals had little understanding of this complex disorder and what could be done to help children like Jacob.
Stereotypes abounded. One physician told the Hirschfeld's that Jacob had no better chance than 1 in 10 of living outside of an institution. Jacob's mother, Nancy, recalls that one preschool initially turned away her son because of their fears of autism, but once they began to see Jacob as a person who had unique gifts as well as challenges, they accepted him.

Thankfully, the Hirschfeld family persevered and sought services to help their son. Their search led them to engage in intensive, early intervention therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, which has helped them dramatically.
Early intervention has also made a difference in the lives of Patrick and Jean McDermott, with their son, Grant, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 22 months old.

Grant's mother Jean said, "It was devastating to hear the words 'diagnosis of autism' as parents of this beautiful child.
My husband and I wondered what his future would hold. After the initial shock, we started researching what we could do to give him a brighter future." The McDermott's also chose the ADA early intervention therapy. Therapists worked with Grant about 35 hours a week teaching him basic and then more advanced skills. He is now a regular in school with no aides, and will be going to kindergarten this fall. His future is looking bright and the McDermott's believe he will
have a full life, but it will always be a challenge having an autistic son until a cure can be found.

Autism now affects 1 out of every 166 children in the United States. Boys are 4 times more likely to have autism than girls. This developmental disorder robs individuals of their ability to communicate and interact with others. These are just some of the reasons why it is so necessary we get the word out about autism and support this resolution.