State Senator Roy McDonald (R-Saratoga) has proposed legislation for the creation of a statewide council on autism, that would eventually develop policies to address the needs of the New York's population. The proposal includes the founding of the New York Austim and Austism Spectrum Disorders Treatment, Training and Research Council, which would have 25 members -- including one from OMRDD. (Read the Albany Times Union article "Statewide autism council proposed".)
Looking back in history, when Ontario ARC was founded in 1954, people weren't really familiar with the term "autism." It was used in the medical community more like an adjective, describing behaivors. In recent years, the term has become all too familiar as it is estimated that 1 in a 100 births or 1.5 million Americans are autistic. In fact -- since 1989 -- the number of people OMRDD serves, who have been diagnosed with austism spectrum disorders, has increased nearly 400 percent.
We'll keep posting information about this new initiative as it progresses.
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