Guest guest Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 ASA-Net The Autism Society of America's e-Newsletter Forward ASA-Net To A Friend December 15, 2003 Houses Passes Omnibus Bill That Includes Funding For Autism On December 8, 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Omnibus appropriations bill -- one piece of legislation containing the seven federal fiscal year 2004 spending bills that remain outstanding. As we reported in the November 30 ASA-Net, included within this legislation is a funding increase of $3,000,000 above the president's budget for autism surveillance activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in fiscal year 2004. Also included in the bill is $2,244,000 in funding to establish a "national awareness and education program that will widely disseminate information regarding autism identification and diagnosis to both families and health care providers." This is exciting news and is in large part thanks to the hard work of the hundreds of parents and supporters who responded to ASA's many Action Alerts to contact their Members of Congress to urge them to support increased autism funding. The ASA has been working closely with Congress and the CDC to expand autism surveillance, to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis of autism, and to support research and the expansion of services for those already affected by autism. The next stop for the bill is the Senate floor, where it will be called for a vote on January 20, 2004.During this time of appreciation and cheer, it is appropriate to thank our federally elected officials who have put their time and energy into increasing autism funding. For more information about contacting your representatives in Congress by e-mail or by phone, please click here, or go to the ASA Web site (www.autism-society.org), click on "Advocacy" and scroll down to "Action Alerts." Media Publishes Articles on New Autism Research Roadmap;Leaders of Autism Society of America Quoted The National Autism Summit Conference held in Washington, DC, in late November sparked a number of national newspaper and magazine articles. The focus of most of the articles was on the federal government's announcement of its 10-year Autism Research Roadmap.As reported on ASA's Web site and in the November 30 ASA-Net, ASA's FREE electronic newsletter (click on ASA's homepage to subscribe), the federal government for the first time mapped out a long-term plan for addressing the growing problem of autism in the United States. The ASA, which has long advocated for a major government commitment to autism, applauded the leaders for their efforts and calls on the government to commit the funds needed to give the plan life.Below are links to two of the national articles about the event and the Autism Research Roadmap. The articles include quotes from interviews with ASA Chair of the Board Lee Grossman and ASA President Rob Beck.1) New York Times; November 19, 2003; "Government Mapping Out a Strategy to Fight Autism" by Jane Gross2) Nature; November 27, 2003: "US draws up plans to tackle autism" by Singer The Holidays, Faith, and Your Loved One with Autism With the holiday season now upon is, we thought this would be a good time to share with you two wonderful articles about religion and autism. The articles, which were originally published in ASA's member publication, the Advocate, offer helpful tips on the positive role religion can play in the life of your loved one with autism, as well as the positive impact your loved one can have on others in your community. The articles relate specifically to the Christian and Jewish faiths, but the many tips provided can and should be applied to all religions. To view the articles, click here, or go to the ASA Web site (www.autism-society.org) and click on "Autism Info." Send Someone Special A FREE ASA Holiday E-card! During the holiday season, the ASA is offering our supporters the opportunity to send a FREE ASA holiday e-card to your friends and family. It's just our small way of saying thank you for supporting our cause. As you know from reading ASA-Net, the Advocate, and our news updates on our Web site, we have had quite a busy year. It is only through your support that we can continue to be the voice and resource of the autism community. To send your holiday, e-card, click here or visit www.autism-society.org/ecards.We wish all of you a safe and joyous holiday season! Would you like to promote your business or organization while at the same time helping the autism community? Consider placing an advertisement in the Advocate, our quarterly membership magazine or advertising at our annual conference. We have a variety of packages, including banner ads like the one above, which reaches over 30,000 people. For more information, send an e-mail to advertising@.... ASA-Net is created by the Autism Society of America. Articles may be reprinted and re-circulated only with permission. For questions regarding ASA-Net, send an e-mail to asanet@.... To update your e-mail address or change your subscription preferences, click here.For more information about the Autism Society of America, please visit our Web site. Autism Society of America7910 Woodmont Avenue Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20814-30671.800.3AUTISMwww.autism-society.org Unsubscribe from receiving e-mail, or change your e-mail preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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