Menendez Says New Stats on Autism Should Be Cause for Alarm and Call for Action

Press Release

In a press conference immediately following release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of new data which finds 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having an autism spectrum disorder, United States Senator Robert Menendez called for continued funding for autism research through reauthorization of the Combating Autism Act.

"These new autism figures should be both a cause for alarm and a call for action," said Senator Menendez, author of the Combating Autism Act. "That's why we must redouble our efforts and secure the funding needed to not only ensure critical autism programs aren't shuttered but to find new diagnostic tools, early intervention techniques, therapies and lifelong support and services to ensure individuals with autism can fulfill their God-given potential.

The Combating Autism Act is set to expire at the end of the year if it is not reauthorized.

According to a new report by the CDC, autism rates climbed nearly 30% between 2008 and 2010, to 1 in 68 children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, from 1 in 88 children. In New Jersey, that prevalence is 1 in 45 children.

The press conference was sponsored by Autism Speaks.

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