Federal Autism Funding Awaits Senate OK

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Money is tight in federal Washington these days, to say the least. But autism funding will remain at its current levels for the next three years if the Senate approves a bill that passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The $693 million in the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act will fund research into the causes and treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, said Scott Badesch, president and COO of the Autism Society in Bethesda. It will also help pay to train medical professionals to recognize and properly diagnose autism early, and teach them how to work with these children and their families, he said.