Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Chair of the New York State Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders, announced that he is co-sponsoring legislation that would expand on the mission of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board, which he spearheaded in 2016 to provide individuals with autism and their families with the resources they need to live as independently as possible.

Since its formation, The New York State Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board has worked to provide people with autism and their families with support and access to all of the resources they need (Ch. 469 of 2016). This bill would create an autism detection, education and mapping program to help advance resources for early screening, education, counseling and referral services and help identify locations of occurrences of autism in New York State (A.1953). These measures will aid in accurately determining the possible causes of autism in children, while also providing families, health care providers and educators with information to help better serve those who have been diagnosed, noted Santabarbara.

“As the father of a son with autism, I know how important it is to have a centralized resource center like the Autism Spectrum Advisory Board to help people with disabilities and their families,” said Santabarbara. “Autism has become one of the most common developmental disabilities, affecting the lives of thousands of families all across our state. It is crucial that we continue working to provide affected families and individuals with the support and resources they need to take on the unique challenges they face.”