OT: President Obama's Autism Action Plan

[Guest guest]

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Autism Screening Tops Obama's

Medical To-Do List

Shute for US News and World Report. tiny.pl/vw7w

Autism tops Barack Obama's medical to-do list, according to the

new president's website. Whitehouse.gov launched at 12:01 pm

yesterday, even before the new president had taken his oath of office

on the Capitol's West Front. Autism is the only disorder or disease

mentioned explicitly in Obama's 24-point agenda. Heart disease and

cancer don't get the call. Neither does diabetes, or other chronic

diseases. But there are four hefty bullet points addressing autism.

Obama called for:

1. Increased funding for research, treatment, screenings, public

awareness and support services for autism spectrum disorders.

2. " Life-long services " for people with autism spectrum

disorders, as children and as adults. Many parents struggle to find

and pay for screening and treatments for their children, but there is

even less coverage and capacity for adults with autism-based

impairments

3. More funding for the 2006 Combating Autism Act, as well

as improving state and federal autism programs.

4. Universal screening for all infants for autism disorders, as

well as re-screening for all 2-year-olds. This is the biggie; children

are currently screened only if parents or pediatricians voice a

concern, so too many children aren't diagnosed until they enter

elementary school. The earlier treatment starts, the more effective it

is, and a national screening program would help reduce the number of

kids falling through the cracks. It would also be a huge undertaking,

at a time when both government and privately insured health care is

foundering.

That second bullet point would be a huge help for families who

are struggling to provide care. In a recent survey, 52 percent of

parents of children with autism said their family finances were

drained by treatment and care, compared to 13 percent of typical

families.

The 2006 Combating Autism act promised almost $1 billion over

five years for autism research and development, but Congress hadn't

appropriated $200 million per year, even before the economy hit the

skids. The Obama manifesto gives a big fat hint that for autism, at

least, the hard times cited in the new president's inaugural address

won't mean big cuts in funding.

Still, universal screening for autism will be a huge challenge.

There's no blood test that can be used to diagnose autism, as there is

for hereditary diseases like galactosemia and sickle cell, which are

screened for using a heel stick while a newborn is still in the

hospital. With autism, parents and doctors instead need to observe a

child and look for delays in language, social interactions, and gross

motor skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

recommends that pediatricians screen children during well-baby visits

at 9 months, 18 months, and 24 or 30 months. (Here's the CDC's page on

screening for autism.) But many doctors don't get around to doing

those screens, and until very recently the recommended tests weren't

sensitive enough to pick up mild autism spectrum disorders. Early

screening for autism is a terrific idea. Making it happen will be a

tall order, even for the can-do Obama team.

*** We have a foot in the door to propose additional legislation for

other causes in regards to ASD. ***

E. , The Office of Autism Advocacy

www.officeofautismadvocacy.com

[Guest guest]

Yeah, they're not screened for autism b/c doctors give you how few of

minutes in a well baby check.. WBC's are mainly for the

indoctrination/introduction to RX products: vaccines. A doctor's bread and

butter.

Even doctors who are supposedly doing more for autism, our pediatrician

" didn't do " screenings til age 5. Completely unacceptable when I had a 2

y.o. that I was suspicious about. I wasn't about to sit around and wait 3

years for my doc to finally say 'ok, let's screen him now " and miss the EI

window. Idiots. I fired them.

Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9,

7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08

http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not

necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com

Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner

Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough

to make them all yourself.