AUTISM NATIONAL COMMITTEE INC

The Autism National Committee (AutCom.org) focuses on civil and human rights issues for autistic people, and access to reliable, trusted, and respected means of expressive communication. Many autistic children will acquire functional expressive speech at some point in their development -- but until they do, and for those who haven't yet, alternative/augmentative communication (AAC) devices -- from simple picture- and letter-boards to sign-language to fully-featured VOCAs (voice output communication aids, or text-to-speech devices) -- can make all the difference in the world. I am convinced that the lion's share of maladaptive behavior issues in autism have as their root cause the individual's inability to otherwise constructively communicate needs and wishes, pain and distress, or even joy, excitement, and appreciation. And expressive communication is essential to maximizing achievement in education, employment, and living safely and constructively in the community. Access to communication and civil and human rights go hand-in-hand, and AutCom is the one national-scope autism organization that has focused specifically on these goals since 1990. Please join me in supporting AutCom, the Autism National Committee.