REPORT TITLE:
Autism Center


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the Hawaii autism center of excellence (center)
within the University of Hawaii school of medicine.  (CD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII                                            C.D. 1
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO AUTISM.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that:
 
 2       (1) Autism is a complex developmental disability that
 
 3           typically appears in the first three years of life, and
 
 4           is the result of a neurological disorder that affects
 
 5           the functioning of the brain;
 
 6       (2) Autism and its associated behaviors, including but not
 
 7           limited to significant impairments in areas of
 
 8           communication, language development, social skills and
 
 9           interaction, and leisure or normal play activities, is
 
10           estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 persons
 
11           (according to the Centers for Disease Control and
 
12           Prevention, 1997).  This estimate may be lower than the
 
13           actual number due to a lack of accurate diagnostic
 
14           screening and expertise in this area;
 
15       (3) Autism falls within the American Psychiatric
 
16           Association's DSM-IV category of pervasive
 
17           developmental disorder (PDD), and there are related
 
18           disorders under the category of PDD, all of which are
 
19           included and referred to as autism spectrum disorders
 

 
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 1           (ASDs).  Symptoms and characteristics of ASDs can
 
 2           present themselves in a wide variety of combinations,
 
 3           from mild to severe.  Autism and ASDs are lifetime
 
 4           disabilities that have significant impacts on the
 
 5           functioning of the person with the disorder as well as
 
 6           on their families;
 
 7      (4)  The majority of children with autism and ASDs will not
 
 8           achieve independence as adults and must be cared for by
 
 9           their families and or institutions during their
 
10           lifetime;
 
11      (5)  Millions of dollars are spent each year by the State to
 
12           care for children with autism and ASDs due to the
 
13           number of individuals affected with these disorders;
 
14      (6)  Autism and ASDs are the third most common developmental
 
15           disorder and is more prevalent than Down's Syndrome,
 
16           childhood cancer, or cystic fibrosis;
 
17      (7)  Although there is growing federal interest in autism
 
18           and ASDs, it receives less than five per cent of the
 
19           funds allocated for research by the federal government;
 
20      (8)  Scientists consider autism and ASDs to be a congenital
 
21           developmental disorders and most likely to benefit by
 
22           scientific advancements in genetics and neurology;
 
23      (9)  Recent advances in biomedical, behavioral, educational,
 

 
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 1           and other research suggest that accurate diagnosis and
 
 2           effective interventions will improve treatments for
 
 3           autism and ASDs.  This is attainable if there is
 
 4           sufficient funding for multidisciplinary applied
 
 5           clinical research;
 
 6     (10)  The diverse symptoms and etiology of autism and ASDs
 
 7           require a high level of expertise and interaction in a
 
 8           wide variety of interdisciplinary fields, from bio-
 
 9           psycho-social to educational, to determine definitive
 
10           diagnosis and effective interventions;
 
11     (11)  Hawaii will benefit from the establishment of an autism
 
12           center of excellence through improved diagnostic
 
13           assessment and evaluation as well as more timely and
 
14           effective interventions for persons with an ASDs;
 
15     (12)  Other states have established autism research centers,
 
16           including nationally recognized centers in California,
 
17           Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and New
 
18           York, and these centers attract millions of dollars of
 
19           funding from the National Institutes of Health and
 
20           private sources; and
 
21     (13)  Hawaii can receive similar federal funding for
 
22           multidisciplinary research if a research on autism and
 
23           ASDs if a research center is established.
 

 
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 1      The purpose of this Act is to establish a Hawaii center for
 
 2 services, training, and research related to autism and ASDs.
 
 3      SECTION 2.  Chapter 304, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 4 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
 5 read as follows:
 
 6      "§304-    Hawaii autism center of excellence; establishment.
 
 7 (a)  There is established the Hawaii autism center of excellence,
 
 8 within the University of Hawaii at Manoa, school of medicine.
 
 9 The center shall serve as a central clinical and academic
 
10 resource for state-of-the-art autism and autism spectrum disorder
 
11 diagnostic assessment and evaluation as well as therapeutic and
 
12 educational interventions, consultation, training, and applied
 
13 clinical research.  The center shall endeavor to collaborate
 
14 nationwide in efforts to identify the most effective therapeutic
 
15 and educational interventions.
 
16      (b)  The Hawaii autism center of excellence shall conduct
 
17 and coordinate research that shall be a multidisciplinary effort
 
18 among educational, psychosocial, and behavioral disciplines,
 
19 including but not limited to pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology,
 
20 psychology, speech communication, occupational therapy, physical
 
21 therapy, social work, and nursing.  The center shall:
 
22       (1) Apply for federal funding and charitable foundation
 
23           grants;
 

 
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 1       (2) Provide consultation, services, training, and research
 
 2           to the full spectrum of youth with autism and autism
 
 3           spectrum disorders;
 
 4       (3) Seek to attain national recognition as a preeminent
 
 5           Pacific institution for autism and autism spectrum
 
 6           disorder services, consultation, training, and multi-
 
 7           disciplinary research;
 
 8       (4) Collaborate with public and private sector service
 
 9           providers in efforts to address the needs of
 
10           individuals with autism and autism spectrum disorders;
 
11       (5) Collaborate with persons with autism and autism
 
12           spectrum disorders, their families, and communities in
 
13           addressing service and support needs; and
 
14       (6) Establish an advisory committee and select members of
 
15           the committee who represent the University of Hawaii,
 
16           department of health, department of education, and two
 
17           public members with autism or autism spectrum
 
18           disorders, to advise the center for purposes of this
 
19           section."
 
20      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
21      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.