One more step! My congratulations to all of you who work with the UCEDDs and Centers of Excellence. Goodness knows you have all worked really hard for our kids, and to make this happen.
Act would appropriate much-needed funds for training and technical assistance for the autism community
The United States House of Representatives yesterday passed the Training and Research for Autism Improvement Nationwide Act (H.R. 5756), a bill that would provide training initiatives, vital assistance and education for adults and children with autism and other disabilities, and their families.
“The TRAIN Act will go a long way toward improving the lives of those affected by autism in terms of providing critical support and services," said Autism Society Vice President of Public Policy, Jeff Sell. “Now, it’s on to the Senate to finish the mission and get a bill to President Obama.”
The TRAIN Act would authorize grants to the national network of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities to provide interdisciplinary training, continuing education, technical assistance and information in order to improve services for those with autism and developmental disabilities. The bill also provides additional funds for UCEDDs to partner with minority-serving institutions to provide services and conduct research and education focused on autism communities from racial and ethnic minority populations.
The bill also looks to address the unmet needs of individuals on the autism spectrum, a population of 1.5 million and growing, many of whom lack the necessary support to be able to work and live independently. With 1 in 110 individuals born with autism in America, it is urgent that the Senate pass this bill now to ensure the autism community receives the additional resources so clearly needed.
The bipartisan TRAIN Act was introduced by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) on July 15. It was approved by the House Subcommittee on Health on July 22 and unanimously approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on July 22. The TRAIN Act was originally included in the House version of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, but was rejected from the final health-care reform law. The next step is for the bill to be approved in the Senate.
I am happy for this, but sad for the knowledge that it passed only because autism is now so prevalent in our society that every family--even the famililes of legislators with their golden healthcare insurance plans--is now touched by this neurological disease. The next logical step, which they will surely NOT take due to the fact that their donations come from this source, would be to investigate WHY there is such a precipitous rise in ASD rates. Could it possibly be environmental, due to the prevalence of plastics, heavy metals and other neurological toxins in our environment? A big "duh" to that...
ReplyDeleteGrrrr from your pal in VT