By Holly Bortfeld
The US Government has spent $1.7 Billion dollars in your child’s name under the Combating Autism Act (aka The CAA). Do you feel your child has benefitted from any of that money?
“How about all of the new treatments that money created?” Nope, not one.
“How about the deep cuts in prevalence?” Nope, that went up over 7000% (almost 15,000% if you start when the government started “watching” autism). And average age of diagnosis went up too! Cases prevented? 0.
“Ok, what about all the improved services, reduced waiting lists, new residential facilities, supported job coaching, respite, wandering safety and educational placements?” Nope, they didn’t spend a dime on those.
Are you ready for 5 MORE YEARS of that!!??
Neither are we. Here’s what you can do NOW. Not next week. NOW.
We have less than 36 hours to stop this bill from going through as is.
All it takes is ONE senator to stand up and say, “I am NOT going to support this bill as is” to stop the bill from racing to the President’s desk.
These seven senators are the ones most likely to hold the bill.
CALL THEM TODAY, AND ASK THEM TO HOLD THE BILL!
Senator Tom Coburn, 202-224-5754
Senator Ted Cruz, 202-224-5922
Senator Rand Paul, 202-224-4343
Senator Mike Lee, 202-224-5444
Senator Roy Blunt, 202-224-5721
Senator Ron Johnson, 202-224-5323
Senator Jim Risch, 202-224-2752
ASK THEM TO HOLD S.2449, THE AUTISM CARES ACT, UNTIL IT CAN BE FIXED.
They have been getting lots of calls. Your calls will be brief and painless, but necessary. If you’ve already called, call again.
(Feel free to call your own senators as well. It can’t hurt.)
Act now, or we’ll all wait 5 more years for another chance at a bill that would actually help our kids and adults with autism.
To learn more about the Autism Policy Reform Coalition click here http://autismpolicy.org/our-mission .
Moving Autism Forward by Team TACA 
Hi, I am from Arkansas. Senator Uvalde Lindsey from Arkansas has been a huge advocate for autism and played a huge part in the bill that was passed in 2011 for ABA coverage. I will call him, but he would be great to add to the list. Thank you for all that you do for our children! We all have to be their voice and yours is heard. I am so grateful for that!
Sent from my iPhone
Didn’t realize that 8 of every 9 dollars the government allocates towards research are spent chasing genetic causes. No wonder the rate keeps getting worse.
I called all the numbers, and also requested the email addresses of each senator’s assistant, and sent my own email enumerating the reasons WHY I think the Autism Cares Act should be held.
HERE:
Hi, (____name of assistant), I am writing to request that Senator ______ please hold the Autism Cares Act. It is simply the failed Combating Autism Act, renamed.
The chairman of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee—Thomas Insel— admitted at the House Oversight Subcommittee meeting that after eight years and spending 1.7 billion dollars, the programs developed in the Combating Autism Act have:
FAILED to determine the causes of the enormous increase of the prevalence in autism,
FAILED to prevent a single case of autism (because it’s still increasing),
FAILED to produce any new biomedical treatment for autism,
FAILED to reduce the age of diagnosis of autism,
FAILED to ensure appropriate medical care for the autism-related health problems faced by many with autism,
FAILED to ensure even basic safety protocols for people with autism who wander to their deaths,
and overall, FAILED families and their children who are dealing with severe autism.
84% of the research programs initiated by the Combating Autism Act were duplicative— we don’t need more studies telling us that autistic children have trouble with eye contact. WE KNOW THIS. It’s a waste to keep studying whether or not they do.
The genetics research programs initiated by the Combating Autism Act far exceeded the recommendations by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, and, despite aggressive marketing efforts, THEY HAVEN’T UNCOVERED ANY GENES THAT CAUSE AUTISM. If they haven’t found them yet, they. are. not. there.
Meanwhile, the studies on environmental exposures that might be linked with autism have fallen far SHORT of the recommendations by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
This program has been a complete failure. It has failed the children with autism, it has failed the families of children with autism, and it has failed every child who has developed autism since its inception.
A program that has already sucked 1.7 BILLION DOLLARS without benefitting a single person with autism is more than not constructive, it’s DESTRUCTIVE. Renaming it with a warm fuzzy name does not make it any less destructive.
Please, please hold this bill.
Thank you,