In the Press...
Hamilton/Robbinsville TAPintonto new artcle:'Rep. Smith Honored for Autism Advocacy'By TAPINTO HAMILTON/ROBBINSVILLE STAFF
March 6, 2021 at 5:38 AM
Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) is being honored for his advocacy on behalf of individuals with autism. Autism Speaks, a national advocacy group that promotes research and solutions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recently presented Smith with their Congressional Leadership Award for his “leadership on behalf of individuals with autism and their families.” “The dedicated leaders at Autism Speaks work tirelessly to help raise awareness and advocate for those with autism,” said Smith, a co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus. “I thank them for their steadfast commitment to this important cause, and I am honored to receive this award.” ![]() PHOTO: Representative Chris Smith Credits: Elizabeth Meyers
Smith said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that autism affects one out of every 54 children, including one in 34 boys nationwide; and one in 32 children, including one in 20 boys in New Jersey. “We must do better to ensure children affected by autism have access to the education and support services they need to live healthy, independent lives, especially and including as they continue to grow and become adults,” Smith added. “The additional challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to the autism community underscore that the current health system is not properly designed to meet their needs and demand further research and support programs.” Smith has authored four major laws on autism, including the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act, or simply the Autism CARES Act—the comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that provides more than $1.8 billion through 2024 across multiple agencies to fund research, early detection and treatment for children with autism. Smith’s law also expands government programs to include older persons with autism who often are misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed and overlooked.
Smith’s other comprehensive laws on autism include the Autism CARES Act of 2014, the Combatting Autism Reauthorization Act, and the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology (ASSURE) Act. He also authored Kevin and Avonte’s Law—named after two boys with autism—which was signed into law as part of an omnibus bill to provide funding for critical wandering-prevention education programs and non-invasive locative tracking technology to assist autistic children and their caregivers. https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hamilton-slash-robbinsville/sections/government/articles/rep-smith-honored-for-autism-advocacy |