Every day we don’t act, a window closes for a child with ASD in North Dakota.

At the appointment of the Governor, an Autism Task Force was established in 2009 to determine the needs of families and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the state of North Dakota.

It's now 2012 and, while we greatly appreciate the work of the Task Force, the people of North Dakota are still waiting for state leaders and agencies to act on the findings and recommendations reported by the ASD Task Force in their Intitial State Autism Plan.

The seven recommendations are:
1. Early Identification and Screening
2. Appropriate and Effective Practices
3. Quality Providers
4. Shared Funding
5. Information Access
6. Family Support
7. Accountability

All three year old children with an early diagnosis of ASD in 2009, when the ASD study in our state was called for, are now 6 years old. A critical window of early intervention, holding the promise of a brighter more independent future for the child with autism, has closed. 

The ASD Task Force research indicates that current ASD services are inadequate, information is scarce, and training is needed for parents and professionals. Families are distressed and children are losing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Support and collaboration for the successful treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder is shared by the Department of Public Instruction, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, state and federal programs, private medical providers in our state, and local community groups, as well as families. Accountability and successful coordination among agencies is imperative. 

Read the full report and Initial State Autism Plan here: ​http://www.autismnd.org/Documents/Activities/Autism_Task_Force_Report_2010.pdf

JOIN US IN ASKING NORTH DAKOTA LAWMAKERS: PLEASE FUND THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER TASK FORCE INITIAL STATE PLAN.