| 1 | 1 | | By: Thompson H.R. No. 1490 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorders are complex lifelong |
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| 6 | 6 | | developmental disabilities that typically appear during the first |
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| 7 | 7 | | three years of life and result from neurological disorders that |
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| 8 | 8 | | affect different functions of the brain; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorders affect the normal |
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| 10 | 10 | | development of the brain in the areas of social interactions, |
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| 11 | 11 | | communication skills and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped |
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| 12 | 12 | | patterns of behavior, interest and activity; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorders are one of the fastest |
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| 14 | 14 | | growing serious developmental disabilities in the United States and |
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| 15 | 15 | | affects up to as many as 1 in 150 individuals, more than 2,000,000 |
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| 16 | 16 | | individuals nationally, and over 23,000 children in Texas; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The number of children under the age of 21 with |
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| 18 | 18 | | Autism Spectrum Disorders in Texas is projected to increase to |
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| 19 | 19 | | 62,000 by 2028; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorders have a wide range of |
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| 21 | 21 | | implications on the entire family of the diagnosed individual and |
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| 22 | 22 | | knows no racial, ethnic, geographical, or socio-economic boundary; |
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| 23 | 23 | | and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorders require early detection, |
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| 25 | 25 | | intervention, more diagnostic research, professional educational |
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| 26 | 26 | | training, and therapy to aid in reducing the effects of Autism |
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| 27 | 27 | | Spectrum Disorders, not only for the individual diagnosed, but for |
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| 28 | 28 | | their families; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, The State of Texas needs educators, parents, |
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| 30 | 30 | | doctors, service providers, caregivers, first respondents, |
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| 31 | 31 | | legislators, and the public to better understand this disability |
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| 32 | 32 | | and continue to address this growing problem; now, therefore, be it |
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| 33 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 34 | 34 | | Legislature hereby recognize the month of April 2009 as Autism |
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| 35 | 35 | | Awareness Month. |
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