$3 Million to Support, Better Diagnose, Treat Pennsylvanians With Autism

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Press Release Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

PA Governor Rendell Commits $3 Million to Support, Better Diagnose,

Treat Pennsylvanians With Autism

Wednesday April 5, 9:00 am ET

Incidence of Disability is Reaching Alarming Proportions Across PA,

U.S.

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In proclaiming

April " Autism Awareness Month, " Governor G. Rendell today

said he has dedicated $3 million to help Pennsylvania step up its

efforts to better diagnose and treat the tens-of-thousands of

Pennsylvanians who suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. It

is commonly referred to as ASD because the symptoms can range on the

spectrum from mild to severe.

Autism is a lifelong brain disorder that now affects as many as 1-in-

every-166 children born in the United States, or one child every 21

minutes. The number of people across the U.S. diagnosed with ASD

over the past 15 years has risen by a staggering 2,000 percent.

" Pennsylvania is dedicated to helping ease many of the struggles

that families of those with ASD face, " Governor Rendell said. " Many

of these families have to wait from eight to 18 months before seeing

a doctor qualified to diagnose autism. This investment will, among

other things, help to develop standards for diagnosing ASD and train

more medical professionals who can diagnose the disorder. "

ASD, which includes autistic disorder, pervasive developmental

disorder and Asperger Syndrome, typically affect a person's ability

to communicate and can present challenges that can range from not

speaking to difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships.

People living with autism demonstrate a wide array of needs and

strengths. While some persons with ASD have average or above-average

intelligence and may have normal speech, most individuals with

autism have difficulty understanding social rules and what those

around them think and feel.

It's important to remember that the person with ASD perceives the

world very differently. Many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are

due to those neurological or " brain " differences and not the result

of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the

result of lax parenting.

Experts agree that early diagnosis and intensive intervention are

critical to help an individual realize his or her potential. Autism

doesn't know any boundaries - people aren't prone to autism because

of race, religion or lifestyles.

Governor Rendell said Pennsylvania has focused on this issue because

it has grown by alarming proportions. In 2003, at the Governor's

direction, Department of Public Welfare Secretary Estelle B. Richman

convened the Autism Task Force, which produced a report focusing on

the community's role in recognizing and addressing the needs of

people living with autism.

Following the release of the task force's report, Secretary Richman

appointed Nina Wall-Cote to serve as the DPW's first director of

Autism Affairs. Wall-Cote is working with those families who helped

draft the report, people living with autism, service providers,

legislators, and state and county governments to implement the task

force's recommendations.

Richman said the $3 million being dedicated by the Governor will

help in diagnosis and improved treatment services for Pennsylvanians

with ASD and their families.

The funds will be used by DPW to:

- Develop diagnostic standards and broaden the number of medical

professionals able to diagnose the disorder so that families won't

have to wait from eight to 18 months to see a physician qualified to

diagnose autism;

- Collaborate with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to

streamline and integrate training across behavioral health and

educational systems;

- Develop a service delivery model for rural areas and establish

statewide and regional informational resources for families and

individuals with autism;

- Support and replicate models of exemplary autism service

delivery; and,

- Help providers better understand how to work with adults with

ASD.

For more information on autism, visit

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/autismaffairs; http://www.firstsigns.org

or http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate

public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and

continuing economic investment to support our communities and

businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives

and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at:

http://www.governor.state.pa.us.

CONTACT:

Kate Philips

717-783-1116

Stacey Ward (DPW)

717-787-4592

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Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor