Press Release
Global Autism Hearing Looks at Ways to Help ASD Individuals Reach Full Potential
A congressional panel charged with examining global health issues today reviewed expert testimony about the increase in prevalence of autism and the urgent need for new strategies to help people with autism reach their full potential.
“The global incidence of autism is steadily increasing and is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups,” said committee chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) who has authored several pieces of landmark autism legislation and is the cofounding chairman of the congressional autism caucus, the Coalition for Autism, Research and Education (CARE). “Our particular focus today is on the issue of “aging out,” Smith said. “The demographics of autism are changing. Children with autism, who have often received support within their schools and communities, are now growing up in a world unprepared to meet them.” Click here to read Smith’s full remarks. Entitled the “Global Challenge of Autism”, the hearing was one in a series of hearings conducted by Smith, the chairman of the Africa, Global Human Rights and International Organizations subcommittee. In his opening statement, Smith noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1 in 68 children in the United States is affected with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In New Jersey, it is 1 in 45 children, and globally, these numbers are estimated at 1 in 138 individuals. “People with autism are often faced with segregation, low expectations, impoverished conditions and denial of opportunity,” said Theresa Hussman, board member of the Autism Society in her testimony. “Today, if you are an adult living with autism, you will likely be unemployed or vastly under-employed.” In response, autism advocates are working to erase the stigma of autism and advance opportunities for those on the spectrum. Pulitzer-prizewinning journalist Ron Suskind is the parent of a child with regressive autism, yet remains optimistic about his son’s potential: “For every visible defect, there is an equal and opposing strength.” Industry has taken notice of what they believe is an untapped pool of talent within the autism community- particularly STEM companies, which value the technical abilities and high levels of concentration often found in individuals with high-functioning autism. One company which has taken an interest in the autism community is SAP, a software corporation headquartered in Walldorf, Germany with offices all over the world. “We believe that there is a strong affinity between the natural ways of our colleagues on the spectrum and software development and IT,” said committee witness Jose Velasco, Vice President of Product Management at SAP. “There is a real opportunity to leverage the skills of people with autism in the workplace.” Velasco is the head of the company’s Autism at Work Initiative, which aims to hire and support employees with autism. By 2020, SAP hopes that 1% of its workforce will be represented by people on the autism spectrum. To meet this goal, SAP has developed a system of both identifying job candidates and retaining them once they are hired. Realizing that persons with autism often lack interview skills, SAP has replaced the traditional hiring process with one more accessible for individuals on the spectrum. Velsaco testified that these hiring policies benefit not only individuals on the autism spectrum but also the industry’s bottom line. He said SAP has been approached by more than 15 companies interested in implementing similar programs. “We too often see people with ASD as victims who must be cared for, when the focus which their condition produces may allow them to be highly successful in certain endeavors,” Smith said. “When we begin to look at people with ASD in this light, we can better see how they can be enabled to contribute to society. It just requires understanding of their potential as well as their limitations.” Smith is the author of HR 4631, the “Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act of 2014 (Autism CARES Act)” which passed the House June 24. Autism CARES authorizes $1.3 billion over five years for research into autism, and asks federal agencies to examine and anticipate needs for autistic children who are aging out of current programs. Smith also wrote the Global Autism Assistance Act of 2013, which establishes health and education grant programs to serve children with autism in developing countries. Smith’s Autism CARES Act is pending in the Senate where it is expected to receive favorable consideration before the end of the session. Also testifying at the hearing were Thorkil Sonne, Founder and Chairman of Specialisterne, and Michael Rosanoff, Associate Director of Public Health Research at Autism Speaks. Click here to read testimonies or to watch the hearing.
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