NOT JUST FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN

[Guest guest]

tHIS IS NOT JUST FOR THOSE WITH AUTISM. TIS ALSO HAS TO DO WITH ALL OF OUR

IDEA'S.

, Grandmother to

Fayette City, PA.(near Pgh)

April is National Autism Awareness Month and is right around the corner!

THE POWER OF ONE! IDEA is coming to WASHINGTON, DC

with an event that is FREE and OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

Unlocking Autism will be in Washington, DC again this year on April 21st

hosting The Power of ONE! IDEA Rally on the Mall between 3rd and 4th streets.

The rally is being cosponsored and underwritten this year by Cure Autism

Now, The Autism Society of America, The New Jersey Center for Outreach &

Services for the Autism Community, The Autism Coalition for Research and

Education, The Vaccine Injury Alliance, Youth Consultation Services: Sawtelle

Learning Centers, SAFE Minds and Medical Interventions in Autism.

Last year, the theme of the rally was " The Power of ONE! " and the purpose was

to remind everyone that they do personally possess the power to make a

difference not only in the lives of their own children but in the lives of

all families affected by autism.

This year, we have expanded on the power of one theme and incorporated a

primary focus on I. D. E. A. In 1975, Congress passed the Education of the

Handicapped Act which served as the precursor for the law known today as the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The purpose of the law was to

ensure that individuals with disabilities had access to free and appropriate

education in the least restrictive environment. The act set a goal for the

Federal Government to provide states with 40% of their funding needed for

special education programs.

Until 1997, with the reauthorization of IDEA, the funding hadn't even passed

8%. Since that time, disability groups have joined forces and have increased

the funding last year to approximately 18% but we still have a long way to go

to get the money through the Federal Government to make sure our children are

receiving the services they deserve, and that the government said that they

deserve all those years ago.

IDEA is important to everyone in every community whether they have a child

with a disability or not. If the Federal Government doesn't provide the

funding to the school systems, then states and counties are burdened with

generating the funds to provide the services that they are required by

federal law to provide, which in turn affects the funds available to all

students in the public education system. It is in everyone's best interest

to see IDEA fully funded.

IDEA is up for reauthorization during the 2002 Session. The leaders of the

autism community this year thought it would be a good IDEA to discuss it in a

public forum in Washington, DC at the rally this year!

We will kick off the rally with performances by the band Jonasay. Jonasay is

a cutting edge quintet who spent much of 2001 touring with Hootie and the

Blowfish. Their CD will be out in April and their clean smooth music packs a

punch that everyone is sure to enjoy.

The Emcees of the event this year will once again be Jeana with

Unlocking Autism and Jeff Sell & Lee Grossman with the Autism Society of

America.

Speakers will include from over 15 Different Organizations will include:

H. Reynolds - President, Unlocking Autism

H. Cale - Vice President, Unlocking Autism

Shore, Board Member, Unlocking Autism & Autism Society of America

United States Congressman Mike Doyle - Pennsylvania - 18th District

United States Congressman - New Jersey - 4th District

Shestack, President & Cofounder, Cure Autism Now

Murray, Founder, Autism Coalition for Research & Education

Cliff Shoemaker, J.D., Vaccine Injury Alliance

Dr. Pratt, Ph.D., Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Ball, Ed. D.,Vice President, Autism Services, Youth Consultation

Service

Sallie Bernard, Ph.D., SAFE Minds

Barbara Loe Fisher, President & Cofounder, National Vaccine Information

Center

Baumann, New York Families of Autistic Children

Beck

Bird

Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., FAAFP, International Child Resource Development Ctr.

Bill , UA Pennsylvania State Representative

Ray Gallup, President, Autism Autoimmunity Project

Miss Sherri Grippo - Miss Jefferson County 2002 - West Virginia

Lassiter, UA Virginia State Representative & President, N. Virginia

ASA

April Oakes, President & Founder, Casi's Quest

Miss - Miss Omaha 2002 - Nebraska

Lenny Schafer, Editor, FEAT Online Newsletter

Weinburg

EMCEES:

Jeana , Unlocking Autism

Lee Grossman, Autism Society of America

Jeff Sell, Autism Society of America

So, grab those blankets, pack a lunch and

head down to DC with your family for the rally on

April 21st.

We are planning a day of family fun!

For information on the rally, stay tuned to UA's website:

www.unlockingautism.org.

For information regarding the band Jonasay, visit their site at:

www.jonasay.com.

For hotel rooms, which are available at $129 per night at the Capitol Hilton

located only 4 blocks from the Mall, write Reynolds at

Keys2UA@...