NJ Office of Autism

Since the release of the NJ Adults with Autism Task Force Report on Thursday the Governor has stated he plans to create an Office of Autism. The commitment was made at the Autism NJ Conference Friday Oct. 9th in Atlantic City.

Here is a snippet from a news report titled State announces new office to help residents with autism from the Press of Atlantic City -

Families affected by autism in New Jersey will have two new ways to reach out for services and find the right people to help them in their communities.

On Friday, the Governor's Office announced that an Office of Autism Services would be created so the state can determine what policies and legislation are needed to support those affected by autism.

...

The Governor's Office also announced the launch of an electronic autism registry designed to refer people affected by autism to the proper resources for community support and medical treatment.

Even with the announcements from Gov. Jon S. Corzine at the conference, people agreed that much more action was needed to help people with autism, especially the growing number of adults living with the condition.

"Parents tell me that when their children turn 8 or 9 years old, they're already thinking ahead to when they turn 21," said Linda Meyer, executive director of Autism New Jersey.

Meyer said until that age, a person with autism can receive a comprehensive education. Once they hit 21, funding drops and they can no longer be educated.

...

A report released earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 1 in 100 people in the United States has some form of autism, up from the previous estimate of 1 in 150.