Cure Autism Now | DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER: Senate Children’s Health Bill | May 24, 2000 #AutisticHistory #StopBigAutism

[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]

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DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER
Senate Children’s Health Bill

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 

Senator Gorton has teamed with democratic Senator Herbert Kohl, Wisconsin, and issued this “dear colleague” letter. It was distributed to all 100 senators and this letter asks them to sign a letter directed to Senator Frist requesting a children’s health bill which includes autism research, and a speedy, bipartisan passage free of controversial amendments. Senator Frist chairs the relevant committee, and is in a position to move our legislation forward. We expect our autism research act, S.512, will be rolled into this broader Children’s Health bill encompassing our autism legislation, along with provisions for several other children’s health organizations.

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Dear Colleague:

We invite you to join us in sending a letter encouraging quick Senate action on a comprehensive children’s health research bill this year.

Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Children’s Health Act of 2000 (419-2). The bill significantly expands existing pediatric research efforts and targets federal resources at many childhood afflictions including autism, fragile x, a multitude of birth defects, epilepsy, juvenile arthritis, juvenile diabetes and rare diseases in children. Additionally, the bill also ensure that maternal health prevention programs are a top public health priority.

Many of you have either introduced or cosponsored Senate companion bills that were included in the House passed bill. Our hope is that the Senate bill will include many of these provisions and will enjoy the same broad bipartisan support of the House bill. It is also our hope that this bill will not be subject to amendments that do not have bi-partisan support in order to expedite passage. We want to encourage the Senate HELP Committee and both Republican and Democrat Leadership to make this opportunity to help America’s children a priority for the Senate this year.

At least twenty-four children’s health and advocacy organizations support this effort including the March of Dimes, the ARC of the United States, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, the Autism Society of America and Cure Autism Now. We hope you will join us in signing this important letter. If you have any questions or would like to add your name to this letter, please contact Kristen Michal in Senator Gorton’s office at 224-3441 or Julie Cohen in Senator Kohl’s office at 224-5653. The deadline for signing this letter is Friday May 26, 2000. 

Sincerely,

___________________________  Slade Gorton   United States Senator

___________________________ Herb Kohl United States Senator

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Note/Warning:

Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid. 

ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.

The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work. 

What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.

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[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]

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Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.

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