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          R E S O L U T I O N
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               WHEREAS, Since the 1970s, April has been set aside as  | 
      
      
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        National Autism Awareness Month in order to inform the public about  | 
      
      
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        autism and issues within the autism community; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, Autism spectrum disorder and autism are general  | 
      
      
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        terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development; they  | 
      
      
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        are characterized by varying levels of difficulty in social  | 
      
      
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        interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive  | 
      
      
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        behaviors; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, According to the United States Centers for Disease  | 
      
      
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        Control and Prevention, 1 in every 59 children is affected by  | 
      
      
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        autism, compared with 1 in 150 in 2000; the Autism Society  | 
      
      
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        calculates that more than 3.5 million Americans of all ages live  | 
      
      
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        with an autism spectrum disorder; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, The cause of this disorder is unknown, but  | 
      
      
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        behavioral intervention can dramatically improve outcomes; early  | 
      
      
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        diagnosis and intervention are crucial to ensure effective  | 
      
      
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        treatment that can help these valuable members of society use their  | 
      
      
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        skills and talents to reach their full potential; now, therefore,  | 
      
      
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        be it | 
      
      
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               RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas  | 
      
      
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        Legislature hereby recognize April 2019 as Autism Awareness Month  | 
      
      
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        and encourage all Texans to learn more about autism spectrum  | 
      
      
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        disorder. |