FW: April, 2001 is Autism Awareness Month in Florida

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----From: Holly Bortfeld

Autism Awareness Month

WHEREAS, autism is a complex and puzzling neurobiological disorder that severely impairs the ability of individuals to process and integrate ordinary information from their environment, affecting their ability to communicate and learn; and WHEREAS, autism severely affects the way autistic individuals relate to others socially; and WHEREAS, autism affects all five senses, causing either very acute or sometimes nonexistent functioning without consistency; and WHEREAS, autism strikes 1 in every 700 children and is now considered one of the most common disabilities; and WHEREAS, the State of Florida has one of the largest populations of autistic children and young adults in the United States; and WHEREAS, autism is unidentifiable until 18-24 months of age and often does not manifest until well into the second or third year of life; and WHEREAS, with proper treatment and intensive therapy it is possible for many autistic children to progress to a point where they are indistinguishable from their peers; and WHEREAS, nationally, April has been declared as Autism Awareness Month, NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeb Bush, Governor of the State of Florida, do hereby extend greetings and best wishes to all observing Autism Awareness Month, April 2001, and encourage all Floridians to educate themselves on the effects of autism and available therapies for those individuals with autism; IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the state of Florida to be affixed at Tallahassee, the Capital, this 9th day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand one. Jeb Bush Governor Visit the ARN Homepage! http://www.geocities.com/ARNFL