I'm writing to urge your support and co-sponsorship of HR 2421, the Combating
Autism Act.  This bill would expand the NIH Collaborative Programs of Excellence
in Autism, a major source of funding for ongoing autism research taking place
at Boston University.  It would also make available grants to Massachusetts and
other states to develop systems for autism screening and intervention.  By
furthering early diagnosis and treatment and by enabling more rapid progress
towards scientific understanding and prevention of autism, HR 2421 would lessen
the huge social and economic costs of providing lifetime care and support for
people with autism.

I and my family are all too familiar with these costs of autism, because in
addition to being a neuroscientist studying autism I'm also a brother and an
uncle to two people with autism.  My older brother John has never been able to
speak.  He cannot hold a job outside supported employment, and he requires
full-time supervision.  My nine-year-old niece Marie hasn't even the social
skills or language skills of a child half her age; she requires constant and
intensive supervision and this has prevented my sister from getting and keeping
a decent job.  We need to do better for families affected by autism, and we
need to work faster to understand the genetic and environmental factors that
produce autism.

HR 2421 is a wise investment for Massachusetts scientists and for Massachusetts
parents, and I hope that it will receive your vigorous support.