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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, April 2021 is Autism Awareness Month, and this |
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| 6 | 7 | | occasion provides a fitting opportunity to promote education about |
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| 7 | 8 | | autism and issues within the autism community; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorder encompasses a range of |
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| 9 | 10 | | health conditions that can cause social, communication, and |
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| 10 | 11 | | behavioral challenges; people experience the disorder to varying |
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| 11 | 12 | | degrees, and symptoms can include being nonverbal, engaging in |
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| 12 | 13 | | atypical speech patterns and repetitive behaviors, and having |
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| 13 | 14 | | significantly high or low levels of sensitivity to various sensory |
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| 14 | 15 | | stimuli; ASD lasts throughout an individual's life, and early |
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| 15 | 16 | | diagnosis can ensure that those affected receive the treatment and |
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| 16 | 17 | | intervention services they need, such as speech therapy, social |
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| 17 | 18 | | skills training, and assistive technology; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, According to the United States Centers for Disease |
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| 19 | 20 | | Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in every 54 children is |
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| 20 | 21 | | affected by autism, compared with 1 in 125 in 2004; although the |
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| 21 | 22 | | cause of the disorder is unknown, the CDC outlines numerous factors |
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| 22 | 23 | | that increase the risk of a child having ASD, including genetic |
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| 23 | 24 | | conditions, family history with autism, and certain medications |
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| 24 | 25 | | taken during pregnancy; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, More work remains to be done in understanding this |
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| 26 | 27 | | complex health issue, in improving procedures for diagnosis, and in |
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| 27 | 28 | | supporting individuals with autism, and the observance of Autism |
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| 28 | 29 | | Awareness Month unites Texans in their commitment to these efforts; |
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| 29 | 30 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 30 | 31 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 31 | 32 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 2021 as Autism Awareness Month |
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| 32 | 33 | | and encourage all residents of the Lone Star State to learn more |
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| 33 | 34 | | about autism spectrum disorder. |
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