SACRAMENTO - Today the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed a crucial piece of legislation that will develop the first ever Autism Spectrum Disorder Clearinghouse. Assembly Bill 1872, authored by Assembly Member Joe Coto (D-AD 23), and sponsored by the Barona Band of Mission Indians, will create a central resource center of effective strategies on how to better educate youngsters with varying degrees of autism.

Autism is the fastest growing special education eligibility category for public education in California. During the period of 1998 thru 2002, the number of students receiving special education services in California almost doubled, from 10,360 to 20,377. 

AB 1872 requires the California Department of Education, in conjunction with other state agencies, to establish the California Autism Spectrum Disorder Clearinghouse in order to provide evidence-based recommendations and practices for the education of pupils. 
 
Information provided by the Clearinghouse will be targeted to a broad range of audiences and shall include creating a website of evidence based practices and resources for Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as an online rating systems and periodic surveys of the materials posted on the website.

ASD, otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorders, is a spectrum of psychological conditions characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behavior.

AB 1872 would ensure the most current research and training methodologies are available to all parents, local education agencies, regional centers and nonpublic schools.  This critical information is essential for school districts to develop an appropriate educational delivery system for children on the spectrum and would provide a valuable resource for families as they try to find and select the various educational options that have been proven effective in treating autistic children

“Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with Autism. We must look at this as an epidemic of such a magnitude that something needs to be done and it needs to be done fast,” said Assembly Member Coto. 

This bill is one of eight legislative proposals in the 2008 Autism Legislative Package. The bill package is a direct result of the work of the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism. The Commission includes health experts, family members, business leaders, educators, researchers and various legislators, including the Chairman Senator Steinberg. AB 1872 will now be sent to the full assembly for consideration.