ATLANTA (March 26, 2010) – Today, State Sen. Johnny Grant (R-Milledgeville) led the charge for a state effort to manage autism. Senate Bill 161 establishes an Autism Taskforce that will develop a plan to educate and inform parents, families and health care professionals about early intervention and treatment of autism.
“Autism is a very prevalent condition that, if caught early can help children and their families have a better quality of life with recovered functions that are often impaired by autism,” said Grant. “It is our duty to inform the public about diagnosing and treating such a common disease as autism.”
“Autism is a tragic condition that so many children suffer across the nation. Everyday we are learning more about the detection, symptoms and care of autism in children. Early diagnosis is the key to minimizing the devastating effects in children. Georgia is making great strides in helping parents and families learn about and manage this disease. I commend Senator Grant for leading the development and management of the Autism Taskforce,” said President Pro Tempore Tommie Williams.
Autism is part of a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The condition affects one on 100 children and it has a potential life time cost of $3.4 million. Early intervention and treatment can lower the lifetime cost to $600,000 per person.
SB 161 creates a twenty-one member statewide Autism Taskforce within the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The Taskforce’s responsibilities include
- Developing a plan to educate the public and health care professionals about the advantages and methods of early screening, early intervention, diagnosis, and treatment of autism
- Educating parents regarding available diagnostics, as well as services and funding sources
- Recommending the implementation of a cost-effective plan for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism and its related syndromes
- Recommending the implementation of a disease management program
The bill will now move to the House for consideration.
Sen. Johnny Grant serves as Chairman of the State Institutions and Property Committee. He represents the 25th Senate District which includes Baldwin, Butts, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Morgan, Putnam, and Taliaferro counties and portions of Jones and Warren counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0082 or by e-mail at johnny.grant@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 26, 2010
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Katie Wright, Communications Associate
katie.wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028