Bill Text: NY K01068 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Autism and Neurodivergence Awareness Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-04-03 - adopted [K01068 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K01068-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 1068

BY: M. of A. Seawright

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        April 2024, as Autism and Neurodivergence  Awareness
        Month in the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months that are set aside  to  increase  awareness  of  serious
issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern, and fully in accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Autism and
Neurodivergence Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction
with National Autism Awareness Month, and World  Autism  Awareness  Day,
Saturday, April 2, 2024; and

  WHEREAS,  Each  April for the past five decades, this vital month of
recognition has elevated awareness and educated the public about  autism
and issues within the autism community; and

  WHEREAS,  One  in  68  children  in the United States is affected by
autism, Asperger's or Pervasive  Developmental  Disorder  Not  Otherwise
Specified  (PDD-NOS),  estimated  by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC); and

  WHEREAS, Several recognized types of Neurodivergence include autism,
Asperger's  syndrome,  dyslexia,  dyscalculia,   epilepsy,   hyperlexia,
Dyspraxia,  ADHD,  obsessive-compulsive  disorder  (OCD),  and  Tourette
syndrome (TS); and

  WHEREAS, In addition to these already staggering statistics, the CDC
reports that one in every 98 African-American children is diagnosed with
autism with a 1.6 year delay in diagnosis  when  compared  to  Caucasian
children; and

  WHEREAS, Parents tend to overlook the early signs of autism spectrum
disorders,  assuming their child is just going through a phase or having
an off day; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  important  for  parents  to  differentiate   these
assumptions  from  the  symptoms,  which  can  present in many different
forms; and

  WHEREAS, Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning there can  be  great
variation  in  the  way  it  affects  people;  each  child on the autism
spectrum possesses unique abilities, symptoms, and challenges, according
to autism expert Dr. Willis Holloway; and

  WHEREAS, However, many children on the spectrum often  share  common
core  symptoms  which  include:  impaired  social  interactions, such as
reluctance to join group activities at school, not being  aware  of  the
needs   of   others,   or   inability   to  understand  humor;  impaired
communication, such as delay in language development, unusual repetition
of words and phrases  spoken  by  others  or  on  television,  or  major

difficulty   sustaining   a   conversation;  and  restricted  interests,
repetitive behaviors, and  stereotyped  mannerisms,  such  as  clapping,
finger  flicking,  rocking, dipping, and swaying, fascination with parts
of  an object or preoccupation with one narrow interest such as dates or
numbers; and

  WHEREAS, While medications are available for some common  behavioral
symptoms  like  irritability or anxiety, there are no FDA-approved drugs
to treat any of the core symptoms of these conditions; and

  WHEREAS, Autism is a disease with significant  unmet  patient  needs
and  is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during
the first three  years  of  life  and  affects  a  person's  ability  to
communicate and interact with others; and

  WHEREAS,  Autism  is  defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a
spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently  and  to  varying
degrees; and

  WHEREAS, There is no known single cause of autism; in March of 2012,
the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism
prevalence report which concluded that  the  prevalence  of  autism  had
risen  to  one in every 68 births in the United States and almost one in
54 boys; and

  WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness  of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the local, State and national levels; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Autism  and
Neurodivergence  Awareness  Month  in  the  State of New York; and be it
further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.