Light It Up Blue -- 1 in 68 U.S. Children Has Autism

Press Release

Today, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., 1 in 68 U.S. children has autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD)- a 30% from just two years ago.

What is autism? Autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are often characterized by the difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors and general social interactions.

Senator Baldwin recognizes the impact of Autism on families in Wisconsin and across the country, and she understands the need to bring more awareness to this disorder:

"I am a strong supporter of investing in medical research to help improve treatments, as well as increasing education surrounding serious diseases like autism. In 2013, Sequestration cut $18.9 million in federal funding for autism programs, which has disproportionately harmed American families across the country. To help individuals with autism and their families, I will continue my fight to protect funding for the NIH, CDC, and other health programs. Smart and strong investments in research, treatments, and services is critical to address the public health emergency posed by autism spectrum disorders."

Today, Autism is the fastest growing development disability in this country and has no medical detection or cure. Children can be diagnosed as early as age 2, however today only 51% have had an evaluation before the age 3 and most children do not receive a diagnosis until after age 4 - delaying opportunities to start intervention. Autism has made an impact across many parts of society -- from health care to the economic burden for families between treatment and therapy. Today's new data and Autism's increasing diagnosis serves as a call to action to protect funding for more research on diagnosis, education, intervention and training.

Source