Who knows exactly what's at stake for all of us

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome.
Autism is highly heritable, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is generally unclear which genes are responsible.[1] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.[2] Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence.[3] Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.[4]
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is poorly understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no cure.[5] Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful,[6] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.[7]

AUTISM – Arizona Senate Bill #1263 … is this something “we” really want to become fully aware of…?

Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Autism causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.

In the United States, where criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth revision have been exclusively used since 1994, 28 813 children aged 6-21 with autism attended school in 1995-6 compared with 118 603 in 2002-3, an annual increase of 18-26%, according to official reports to Congress.3 The California Department of Developmental Services reported that 3577 children with new cases of autism accessed services in 2002 (10 cases a day) compared with 633 in 1994. With an increase of 97% in the past four years, autism has become the top disability requiring initiation of services in the state. The last yearly increase of 31% is the largest in 33 years.

I lay no claim to any proficiency in medicine or the sciences related to autism. I lay claim only to information which continues to be presented and revealed to us, primarily through the Internet. I ask of you to consider the following…? The bulk of our elected leaders are male. Might the USA currently and in the last 8 years been reacting as if it was inflicted with autism…?

Our current President sees and experiences himself differently than most of the rest of Earth depicts him. Our current President has difficulty in expressing himself in words and chooses instead to express himself with things – bombs and torture interrogation.

And where have “we” been during these manifestations…? For the most part, we’ve been hiding in the dark unable to express ourselves in words understandable to others. Might this not be cause to suggest that “we” are all to one degree or another just a wee bit autistic…?

In Arizona “we” have an opportunity to write a new chapter into the discovery of precisely what the root causes of autism are, let’s not squander this because we’re not willing to commit the funding necessary to see it come to fruition.

Who knows exactly what’s at stake for us all…?