Senators recommend YSU autism funds as bill moves

The bill now goes to the Senate for a full vote.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee recommended that $100,000 go to Youngstown State University’s Autism Minority Outreach Program.

The funds were included in the committee’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Avon, and George Voinovich, a Republican from Cleveland, said.

“As we work to curb the rise of autism, it’s critical that we reach all communities affected by this disease,” Brown said. “These federal funds will promote broader access and provide enhanced support for children with autism and their families.”

The bill goes to the Senate for a full vote and then to a House-Senate conference committee before final passage in both chambers. The bill is then sent to the president to become law.

“By expanding this program, we hope to have a profound impact on the lives of all Ohioans who are affected by autism,” Voinovich said. “I am proud to have helped secure funding for a program that has the potential to become a model throughout the state and the nation of how to educate communities about recognizing and treating this disease.”

The federal funds would be used to increase awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder in black and Hispanic communities in northeastern Ohio, the senators said.

An early-intervention satellite program for preschool-age children with autism diagnoses also would be established. The program would provide education, early diagnosis, and quality intervention services for children with autism and their families.