A bill sponsored by Senator Diane Allen, R-7, that would appropriate $500,000 to establish an Autism Registry in the Department of Health and Senior Services was signed into law by the Governor today. Medical professions and families directly impacted by autism hailed the bill as the next giant step in identifying the causes of autism. It is now estimated that one in every 166 children born in the United States will be diagnosed with autism, and a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that one of every 94 children in New Jersey has autism.
“We can use the data from this registry to determine exactly why New Jersey has such a high number of children with autism,” said Allen. “If there are hot spots where a significant number of children are affected with autism we need to know. We also need to know if New Jersey has a high number of autistic children because families are moving here to take advantage of our great programs. Hopefully, the information gathered from this registry will give us some answers.”
The bill requires a physician, psychologist and any other qualified health care professional who makes a diagnosis that a child is affected with autism to report the diagnosis to the Department of Health and Senior Services. The report will be in writing and will include the name and address of the person submitting the report and of the child diagnosed with autism. If a parent is opposed to reporting of the child’s diagnosis, the report will not include information that could identify the child.
“It’s a developmental disorder that not only impacts the child and family, but the health care and school systems too,” added Allen. “Creating this registry is a first step toward developing solutions that can lead to a better quality of life for the children and their families.”
Additional legislation co-sponsored by Senator Allen and signed into law by the Governor today also is intended to improve detection, treatment and awareness of autism in New Jersey.
The package of legislation requires teachers to be trained in autism awareness and pediatricians to screen for autism symptoms. A panel will be created to study the needs of autistic adults, and the state council for autism medical research and treatment will be restructured. Funding for autism research and treatment also will be increased.
Another related measure co-sponsored by Senator Allen establishes the Asperger’s Syndrome Pilot initiative in the Department of Human Services. The purpose of the pilot project is to provide vocational, educational and social training services to people with Asperger’s Syndrome.
“The state of New Jersey needs to raise awareness about these disorders, improve diagnostic techniques and fine tune treatment programs. All of these bills are a giant step towards reaching these goals,” said Allen.
Link to Post:
http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/allen/allen-bill-to-create-state-autism-registry-becomes-law/124
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