Obama and Autism

While the critics and pundits weigh in on whether or not President Obama is following through on his campaign promises (give the man some breathing room, it’s only been a couple of months), I for one am totally impressed with some of the actions he has taken so quickly. Not the least of which is the signing of a bill that will expand the children’s health insurance program, expanding health coverage for over 4 million uninsured children in America and significantly impacting children in California. In addition, the newly re-launched White House website (whitehouse.gov) prominently features Autism as part of the Disabilities agenda. In fact, it is the only disorder specifically cited. Featured in the agenda are increased funding for research, treatment, screenings, public awareness and support services for autism spectrum disorders. He also pledges “life-long services” for people with autism spectrum disorder which will significantly impact the parents that struggle to find and pay for treatment for their children. Another biggie is the universal screening for all infants, as well as re-screening for all 2-year olds. This is fundamental as too many children are only screened if a parent or pediatrician voices a concern, often causing many cases to go unnoticed until later years. Early intervention for autism spectrum disorders is critical to the success of any therapy.
To read the full report on Obama and Autism, go to http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/AutismSpectrumDisorders.pdf