Hunterdon County adopted the below proclamation recognizing April as Autism Awareness Month at the April 5th County Commissioner Meeting.
This year, the Board presented the Proclamation to Jenni Clark and Star Throwers Group Inc, of Flemington New Jersey. The Star Throwers Group is a 501(c)3 organization in Flemington whose mission is to support and offer opportunities to students in Hunterdon County who follow IEP and 504 plans in Highschool that these students may find difficult to achieve by traditional channels in place by high schools and the government.
WHEREAS, Autism is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder that manifests itself and affects the social, learning, and behavioral skills of those affected by it; and
WHEREAS, Autism is currently estimated to affect 1 in every 45 people nationally, numbers devastatingly rising from the 1 in 68 in 2014, with rates being highest in New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Autism is said to affect boys four times more than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries, and neither income, lifestyle, nor education affects the occurrence; and
WHEREAS, a single specific cause of autism is not known, but current research links it to biological or neurological differences in the brain, as well as environmental assaults and neurotoxins. Outdated theories and myths have been proven false, such as autism being a mental illness, better diagnosing, or any fault of the mother; and
WHEREAS, accurate, early diagnosis and the resulting appropriate education and medical interventions are vital to the growth and development of the individual; and
WHEREAS, the diagnosis of autism is not reserved for the individual affected by it but that the entire family has to recover; and
WHEREAS, New Jersey offers a wide range of services and support to this population through various organizations for Autism; and
WHEREAS, those with Autism need equal access to education, employment opportunities, community-based housing, family services, coaching and support, and medical treatment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Hunterdon does hereby proclaim April 2022 as Autism Awareness Month, in the County of Hunterdon.