"We've had an overwhelming amount of feedback, mostly positive, but this campaign isn't for everyone," says Ann Brasher, Vice President of NAA. "We essentially call the CDC out for labeling us as 'anti-vaccine' every time we ask a question about vaccine safety. We call out the NIH for directing more dollars towards genetic research when environmental factors are playing a huge role in triggering autism, and we call out the Department of Education for their slow response in keeping more special-ed students from being abused and killed in our school systems. We've gone out on a limb here to say what needs to be said."

The group's letter to President Obama covers the daily challenges of living with autism. "Most days, we don't know which issue to tackle first," states Rita Shreffler, NAA Executive Director. "There are too many and we're overwhelmed. We've asked President Obama to declare autism a national health crisis so that autism may receive the attention it needs and our children may receive the basic resources they deserve."

According to a recently released survey by the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), which is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Autism Spectrum Disorders now affect 1 in 100 children.

"It's time for answers," says Brasher. "It's long overdue."

Source: nationalautism