On November 20, the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness held a hearing to discuss federal initiatives to address the growing epidemic of autism in the United States. “Only 15 years ago, autism was considered a relatively rare disease affecting roughly 1 in 10,000 children…Currently, conservative estimates of autism rates in the United States indicate that 1 in every 500 children are afflicted with these various spectrum disorders,” stated Subcommittee Chair Dan Burton (R-IN), adding that autism is now the third most common developmental disability.
The subcommittee heard from two representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services who detailed their efforts to address the needs of autistic children and their families. Dr. Peter C. van Dyck of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) discussed HRSA’s six-component plan for developing and implementing community-based services for children and youth with special needs, which received roughly $22 million in FY2003. Under the plan, HRSA provides funding for:
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Additionally, HRSA funds numerous programs designed to provide early development and behavioral screening; develop a medical home model of care; provide families with information on needed services; train health professionals to serve persons with autism; and provide health care services to persons with autism and their families.
Dr. Ann Wagner of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) summarized NIH’s research initiatives on autism spectrum disorders. “Over the past six years, NIH autism research dollars have risen from approximately $22 million in 1997 to $74 million in 2002,” she said. In 1996/1997, the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) network was established to design and implement multi-site clinical trials with children and adolescents with autism. Additionally, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences partners with the Environmental Protection Agency to support Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research. The NIH also supports ten Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism and eight Centers of Excellence in Autism Research.
Dr. Wagner also discussed the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which was established by the Children’s Health Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-310) and for which NIMH has been designated as the lead. The IACC has established subcommittees on autism screening and the organization of autism treatment services. Additionally, the IACC convened a panel of experts “to document both roadblocks to understanding causes and best treatment options for autism.” The outcome of that panel was the establishment of an autism research matrix that will drive such research for the next 10 years.
Speaking on behalf of the Autism Research Institute, Dr. Bernard Rimland urged the federal government to study the use of the vitamin B6, in combination with magnesium, to treat autistic children and adults, noting that his autistic son has been taking the therapy for 40 years and is now an internationally-recognized artist. “Today, for the first time in history, there are successfully treated autistic children—living, breathing, speaking autistic children—living among us and enjoying their lives. These mainstreamed children…owe their liberation from autism to treatment modalities which were, and still are, ridiculed, reviled and rejected by most of the recognized authorities in the educational and medical autism establishments,” he said.
