Legislation will train teachers to teach children with autism

Washington, D.C. - Thursday, May 30, 2002 - U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-18), co-chairman and founder of the congressional autism caucus, Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.), has introduced legislation that will for the first time ever, dedicate federal funds to better train teachers who work with students with autism.

"Autistic children are smart and intelligent children, but in order for them to be able to take full advantage of their learning potential, they need to be surrounded by professionally developed and trained teachers or teachers' aides with an expertise in autism spectrum disorders. This bill will help to expand upon the educational opportunities for children with autism by simply giving their teachers the tools to teach them better," stated Doyle.

Rep. Doyle introduced the Teacher Education for Autistic Children (TEACH) Act of 2002, H.R. 4728, with Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, also co-chairman and founder of C.A.R.E. This legislation would authorize the U.S. Department of Education to invest $20 million each year for five years in programs, grants, and scholarships to train teachers who work with students with autism.

This legislation would also provide an additional $5 million each year for the states to invest in similar teacher preparation and education programs. And, it will provide for a tax credit of up to $10,000 each year for educators who undertake and pass certified courses on autism education.

"We are thrilled that the Caucus, under the leadership of Reps. Smith and Doyle, is addressing this important issue," Autism Society of America President Lee Grossman said. "The lack of trained teachers has been of great concern to the autism community for some time, and it is a problem that is only getting worse as more and more children are diagnosed with autism each year," Grossman added.

In addition, this legislation will require reviews of how local school districts educate students with autism as well as a study of job training programs for people with autism.

According to Cindy Duch, founder and co-chairperson of the Penn Hills Advocates for Special Education (PHASE) and parent of a child with autism, "Creating a bigger pool of highly qualified teachers to work with our autistic students will only help to improve upon the education our children receive. Funding special education programs is an obstacle for local school districts. However, if these programs received the support on the federal level, it should ease some of the costs incurred by the local school districts in providing quality education to all students - including those with autism. I would like to thank Congressman Doyle for his support of autism issues and his efforts to improve the quality of life for our children."

During the school year, 2001-2002, the Penn Hills School District worked with parents to implement an Autism Support Class in which a specially trained teacher and a teacher's assistant were hired to work with students with autism. According to Dr. Samuel DePaul, Superintendent of the Penn Hills School District, "The Autism Support Class was extremely successful, and there was definite progress made by the children throughout the year. As we see more and more children with autism entering our schools, we need to look at how to adequately address their needs. With the success of the first Autism Support Class coupled with the increased enrollment of students with autism, we are looking into implementing a second Autism Support Class. Obviously there are expenses involved with this, and there are only so many times we can go to the community to help pay for it. I commend Congressman Doyle for his efforts to help us at the local level in addressing our students' needs. This type of assistance will only help us to better educate our special needs students."

This legislation is also supported by Renee Georgi, parent of a 7-year old son with autism, President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and co-founder of the Walk F.A.R. (Family and Friends for Autism Research) for NAAR event held annually in Pittsburgh. "Autism is a complex disorder, which is hitting our schools like a ton of bricks. As a parent, I welcome this initiative with great enthusiasm and hope for the future. For years, parents of autistic children have called for better training and understanding on the part of teachers and aides. I know many of our educators want to help students with autism, but simply don't have the means," stated Ms. Georgi. "This initiative will greatly help our children reach their maximum potential. I am grateful that Reps. Doyle and Smith see the relevance of educational training and development for our children with autism."

NAAR was founded by families concerned about the limited amount of biomedical research conducted into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure of the autism spectrum disorder. The Walk FAR for NAAR is an annual event. This year, the event was held on May 18, 2002, in Pittsburgh in North Park. The event had more than 5,000 participants and raised more than $325,000 to provide urgently needed funding for promising and innovative research into this devastating and heartbreaking disorder.

Autism, a complex developmental disorder that is typically diagnosed during the first three years of life, affects at least one in every 500 children in America. The disorder is more common than Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis, and many forms of childhood cancer.

Autism affects 1.7 million individuals and their families in America and robs individuals of their ability to communicate and interact. Many with autism do not speak at all. There is evidence that autism is increasing, but because the United States does not have a proper, nationwide tracking program to maintain autism statistics, no one knows for certain if the increase is a result of more cases of autism or instead a better understanding of the condition itself.

The Congressional Autism Caucus, C.A.R.E, was formed on January 10, 2001, and is the first organization on Capitol Hill to call national attention to the autism disorder and is the first Congressional Member Organization (CMO) to focus its efforts on the autism spectrum disorder.

Rep. Doyle championed the cause for C.A.R.E. after realizing that there was no single CMO that was solely dedicated to raising federal lawmakers' awareness on autism. "I have had a longstanding, working relationship with local autism advocacy leaders," stated Rep. Doyle. "My interest in forming C.A.R.E. culminated when I was invited by local research leaders to visit the Center for Autism Research in Pittsburgh. This visit made me realize that the voice of local researchers, advocacy leaders, and parents needed to be heard by Congress so that they too could be educated about the need for more advanced and dedicated research."

As of May 29, 2002, C.A.R.E. has 174 Members from 43 states. The Members of C.A.R.E. are committed to improving research, education, and support services for persons with autism spectrum disorder. C.A.R.E. supports initiatives that are vital to the national effort to provide hope and answers to anxious parents of children with autism. C.A.R.E. will also generate much needed interest in funding for autism research by holding briefings that will provide a bipartisan forum where autism issues and proposed solutions can be debated and discussed. To view the list of C.A.R.E. Members, visit Rep. Doyle's website at www.house.gov/doyle/newsrel/caremembersstate.htm.

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