As President, I will appoint a Federal ASD Coordinator, an “Autism Czar” …
World Autism Awareness Day would have been a great time to name the new “autism czar” considering it was 1 year ago that then candidate Obama said the following on autism.
Obama on Autism …
“Many insurance companies have failed to assume their responsibilities. Individuals with autism are routinely denied insurance benefits for their treatments. As President, I will appoint a Federal ASD Coordinator, an “Autism Czar” to oversee and coordinate a nationwide effort to deal proactively with ASD. This effort will include diverse but credible research, treatment, personal care/assistance and family support and will work with existing national and state organizations and taskforces. We need to ensure that combating autism, once and for all, receives the recognition and priority it deserves at the highest level of government. This appointee will also have a mandate to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles that may be delaying implementation of important measures and will ensure that all federal funds are being spent in a manner that prioritizes results. We need to build effective communication and collaboration among federal, state and local agencies. Right now, our government is just trying to keep up and, as any family who faces autism will tell you, we are not even doing that. What we know and what we have seen is that America can and must do more.”
[Excerpts from Senator Obama's World Autism Awareness Day Speech]
Related:
- Obama/Biden on Autism (.pdf)
- G20/World Autism Awareness Day - Brown Obama Must Help
- Progress is slow in the war against autism
- Prime Minister Gordon Brown Responds To Autism Campaigner On World Autism Day
Filed under: Autism Awareness, Autism around the world, Autism in the news, Politics
[...] Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act yesterday to require insurance companies to cover treatment for the disorder. The bill was originally drafted by then-Sen. Barack Obama. [...]
ATAA is a landmark piece of legislation that promises much needed support for autism research and treatment. We are proud of our US Senator, Dick Durbin, who is one of three primary sponsors of the legislation. We were pleased to work with the Senator during the drafting of the bill, and proud that he chose to visit our headquarters for his first media event on the bill. Watch TV coverage at our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCxcnzdTlC8
[...] Duties: [...]