Assembly Resolution No. 1068

BY: M. of A. Seawright

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
April 2024, as Autism and Neurodivergence Awareness
Month in the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious
issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Autism and
Neurodivergence Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction
with National Autism Awareness Month, and World Autism Awareness Day,
Saturday, April 2, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Each April for the past five decades, this vital month of
recognition has elevated awareness and educated the public about autism
and issues within the autism community; and

WHEREAS, One in 68 children in the United States is affected by
autism, Asperger's or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise
Specified (PDD-NOS), estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC); and

WHEREAS, Several recognized types of Neurodivergence include autism,
Asperger's syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, hyperlexia,
Dyspraxia, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette
syndrome (TS); and

WHEREAS, In addition to these already staggering statistics, the CDC
reports that one in every 98 African-American children is diagnosed with
autism with a 1.6 year delay in diagnosis when compared to Caucasian
children; and

WHEREAS, Parents tend to overlook the early signs of autism spectrum
disorders, assuming their child is just going through a phase or having
an off day; and

WHEREAS, It is important for parents to differentiate these
assumptions from the symptoms, which can present in many different
forms; and

WHEREAS, Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning there can be great
variation in the way it affects people; each child on the autism
spectrum possesses unique abilities, symptoms, and challenges, according
to autism expert Dr. Willis Holloway; and

WHEREAS, However, many children on the spectrum often share common
core symptoms which include: impaired social interactions, such as
reluctance to join group activities at school, not being aware of the
needs of others, or inability to understand humor; impaired
communication, such as delay in language development, unusual repetition
of words and phrases spoken by others or on television, or major

difficulty sustaining a conversation; and restricted interests,
repetitive behaviors, and stereotyped mannerisms, such as clapping,
finger flicking, rocking, dipping, and swaying, fascination with parts
of an object or preoccupation with one narrow interest such as dates or
numbers; and

WHEREAS, While medications are available for some common behavioral
symptoms like irritability or anxiety, there are no FDA-approved drugs
to treat any of the core symptoms of these conditions; and

WHEREAS, Autism is a disease with significant unmet patient needs
and is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during
the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to
communicate and interact with others; and

WHEREAS, Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a
spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and to varying
degrees; and

WHEREAS, There is no known single cause of autism; in March of 2012,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism
prevalence report which concluded that the prevalence of autism had
risen to one in every 68 births in the United States and almost one in
54 boys; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the local, State and national levels; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Autism and
Neurodivergence Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.