Critical Update! Go read my action alert about the Stimulus Package before Congress!
At precisely Noon today, the White House web site officially switched over to the Barack Obama Administration. It’s important that we keep track of policies that directly affect us as parents of autistic children and stay committed to our efforts to advocate not only for our own children but children everywhere. So here are some links you’ll want to be aware of.
The Obama Administration’s statement on disabilities – The statement on Autism is at the bottom of the page (nice to see it mentioned specifically). I don’t think they’ll mind if I post it here too.
Autism
President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed to supporting Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders (“ASD”), their families, and their communities. There are a few key elements to their support, which are as follows:
- First, President Obama and Vice President Biden support increased funding for autism research, treatment, screenings, public awareness, and support services. There must be research of the treatments for, and the causes of, ASD.
- Second, President Obama and Vice President Biden support improving life-long services for people with ASD for treatments, interventions and services for both children and adults with ASD.
- Third, President Obama and Vice President Biden support funding the Combating Autism Act and working with Congress, parents and ASD experts to determine how to further improve federal and state programs for ASD.
- Fourth, President Obama and Vice President Biden support universal screening of all infants and re-screening for all two-year-olds, the age at which some conditions, including ASD, begin to appear. These screenings will be safe and secure, and available for every American that wants them. Screening is essential so that disabilities can be identified early enough for those children and families to get the supports and services they need.
Source: WhiteHouse.gov
The Obama Administration’s statement on education – The statement on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – which is the cornerstone, foundation, and the entire building for that matter with regard to the rights our children have to a free appropriate public education – is at the bottom of that page. I’ve included it here too.
Students with Disabilities
Obama and Biden will work to ensure the academic success of students with disabilities by increasing funding and effectively enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and by holding schools accountable for providing students with disabilities the services and supports they need to reach their potential. Obama and Biden will also support Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers, and will work to improve college opportunities for high school graduates with disabilities.
Source: WhiteHouse.gov
Overall, I’d like to see much more detail on both of these and other points, but that’s why we have to keep pressing on these issues. For more information on the details he campaigned on, you can read my commentary on Barack Obama’s policies about autism, special education, children, and more from the election.
The Agenda area of the White House’s web site has a general RSS feed to help you keep updated on changes. However, it doesn’t seem to work yet.
While this is not necessarily the most effective way to have your voice heard, I do think it’s worth writing a brief but detailed comment and sending it through the White House’s contact form. I think this is also the way to sign up for major updates, though I’m not completely clear whether there’s any way to get updates just on specific policy news and not everything.
I’m feeling a bit down about prospects for legislation this year with the terrible economy. This year is North Carolina’s once-every-two-years long session, which is usually where things get done, but with the budget here and everywhere in tatters, getting increases in funding for education and services will be very difficult. But we must stay on top of things and try.
If you don’t already know, find out who represents you in local, state, and federal government and start preparing to make your contacts.
Congratulations to our new President. And as they say, “Honeymoon’s over tomorrow; then it’s time to go to work.”
More in future posts!
Posts that hopefully are similar:
- Action Alert x 2! The Stimulus Package and Funding for Disabilities Services
- And Now We Will Hold You To It
- Obama and McCain on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Education, and Health Care
- Action Alert! Stimulus Package and Disabilities Funding
- URGENT ACTION ALERT! Special Education and Disabilities Funding on the Chopping Block (Updated)
- Update – Stimulus Package, Special Education, and a Lot of Confusion
- Stimulus Bill Passes House! Time to Focus on Senate
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for providing a resource for specific information and encouragement on political advocacy for ours and other children challenged by autism. I agree that making our voice heard on these issues is very important!
Thanks for this, yes this man of compassion is really going to do something about autism. Never have I seen something like this on a White House website. This is a real first. People are now looking to President Barack Obama to reveal his plans for the future and speak directly to people on Autism Sunday which is coming soon on 8th February. Many are looking to President Obama to speak up for autism and Asperger’s Syndrome on Autism Sunday. He also needs to tap into the potential of people with autism and seek their advice when he looks at his autism plan for the future. There again no President in living history has ever included people with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in policy. Change is really coming!Mr.President we eagerly await your message on Autism Sunday!
Thanks Elysa and Lucy for your comments! Given all the budget cuts that are decimating our local school systems right now, we have to push for all the funding we can get from other sources. And about the only place talking about funding anything is Congress right now. You may agree or disagree with how they’re doing it, but I’m not one to be choosy.
If it means IDEA, Early Intervention, local services, and a host of other things get funded, count me in. If that means I’m focusing too narrowly in the context of the larger economy, I’ll reflect on that later. Right now I’m too busy gathering supplies to take to school Wednesday so the teachers have everything they need to teach our kids. I’d hold a bake sale if I thought it would help.
Much of what’s on the White House’s web site are policy statements migrated over from Obama’s campaign site. (Believe me, I read the policy statements for just about everything on both his and McCain’s site during the election pretty much cover to cover.) But still, it’s awesome that it’s on the White House’s site. I do have some concern that others are getting short shrift here (people with Down Syndrome and everybody else who qualifies under IDEA, for example, among many others). I have theories about all this, but it’s too involved to go into in a comment.
Lucy – Thanks for the heads up on Autism Sunday. I totally missed that. Ack! It’s on my calendar! Yes, we’ll be looking out for a message from the President!
Is that what is called doing something?
Let me give you an idea of what doing something actually consists of, Elysa and Lucy. Think of this as a hypothetical regarding what would happen if I were an American citizen and I was commencing the first term of a Presidency I had been elected to.
Combating Autism Act – gone. Kaput. Ripped up and burned and overturned like a Wiccan living in the America of the colonial days.
Language like “Combating Autism Act” (not to mention “…with autism”) would be legally defined as discrimination. Many autistic adults (like me) get sensory reactions to the mere sounds of words, leave alone their actual meanings. I, for one, do not like the visual image of the US Army kicking down my door and mistreating me because they want to combat me.
The Fairness Doctrine would be reinstated and added to the Constitution. Something like “No point of view in a controversial issue shall be presented without the opposed points of view being given a chance to present themselves”, or something to that effect. Jenny McCarthy would never be able to spew her filth without Tony Attwood coming in to correct her ever again.
Anti-discrimination acts such as Affirmative Action and the Civil Rights acts/bills would be expanded so their language includes the autistic. Lawyers, senators, teachers, and every other person in a position of authority in the country would be sat down and informed, re-educated if need be, that diversity and difference do not stop at skin colour.
So far, Obama has done none of these things, and even publically stated that he does not wish to bring the Fairness Doctrine back because he does not see its value. If he did do one or more of these things, it would only benefit the autistic in America. But his refusal or ignorance of the need to do them is hurting every autistic individual in every part of the world.