OMRDD Announces Statewide Autism Consortium

ALBANY, NY (05/28/2008)(readMedia)-- Diana Jones Ritter, Commissioner of the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), today announced the creation of a New York State Autism Consortium under the leadership of OMRDD’s research arm, the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR). The consortium will create an autism “brain trust” in New York State, gathering many of the state’s finest scientific minds to collectively research, treat and address autism and autism related disorders. Governor Paterson tasked OMRDD with creating the consortium in recognition of the increasing number of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

“New York State already boasts some of the finest medical and educational facilities in the world; however each such institution, standing on its own and limited by its own institutional interests, will not best serve the State’s autism constituency,” said Governor Paterson who believes the state must take a leading role in autism research. “The potential presented by a collaboration of these outstanding institutions would be greater than the sum of its parts.”

“We are thrilled to play a key role in the New York State autism consortium,” said OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter. “As part of our agency-wide commitment to Putting People First, and providing person-centered, individualized care, we are dedicated to helping unravel the mystery of autism through this consortium.

“Creating a New York State research consortium will provide the infrastructure, resources and collaboration necessary to best advance basic and applied research in this critical area, and to best support people with autism and related disorders,” continued Commissioner Ritter.

Components of the consortium will include a registry of individuals with autism and their families; a professional training program; research programs to study the infant siblings of individuals already diagnosed with autism and to explore the efficacy of treatment protocols; and a national autism tissue bank.

“New York has taken an important step forward today, recognizing that autism is a growing healthcare crisis warranting special attention from the state and its agencies,” said Alison Singer, Executive Vice President of Autism Speaks and the mother of a daughter with autism. “The creation of the Autism Consortium under OMRDD and the establishment of the autism platform will encourage more of the state's best scientific minds to collaborate on autism research, and increase the state’s focus on delivering key services to individuals with autism and their families.”

State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, “The Regents are committed to better understanding the needs of individuals with autism and to the expansion of New York’s capacity to meet those needs. The Board, in fact, recently conducted a regional meeting devoted exclusively to this topic. We look forward to working with other State agencies in order to maximize our collective ability to serve individuals with autism.”

“I want to thank Governor Patterson for his compassionate leadership on this sad and growing problem of autism,” said Assemblyman Roy McDonald. “Not just as a state legislator, but as a grandfather of two grandchildren with autism; I am deeply grateful and honored to be a part of his team.” Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health, stated, “With one in 150 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder there is an immediate need for diligent and focused public policy efforts. We know that early intervention and other treatments hold promise in helping adults and children with autism live better lives. The work of the autism consortium will help bring those treatments into full practice and secure needed answers to why we have such dramatically increasing rates of autism in our communities.”

“I would like to thank Speaker Silver and Assembly Mental Health Committee Chairman Peter Rivera for appointing me Chairman of the Subcommittee on Autism,” said New York State Assemblyman Mark Schroeder. “I look forward to working with the Statewide Autism Consortium, Governor Paterson, OMRDD, and all autism advocates on preventing, treating, and reversing the effects of this devastating disease.”

Groups that have expressed interest in participating in the Autism consortium include: Columbia University, the University of Rochester, New York University Medical School, Nathan Kline Institute, NYS Institute for Basic Research/CUNY College of Staten Island, Wadsworth Center, Psychiatric Institute of New York State, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the State University at Albany and the University at Buffalo.

The consortium is part of OMRDD’s comprehensive autism platform, a slate of initiatives developed in response to the growing autism crisis. Also under OMRDD’s autism platform umbrella is the Interagency Task Force on Autism, a group charged with ensuring that individuals with autism receive collaborative cross-agency services statewide. Task force members include the Department of Health; State Education Department; Office of Mental Health; Office of Children and Family Services; Council on Children and Families; Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities; and the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

OMRDD supports more than 16,000 people in New York State with autism or autism spectrum disorders. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the development of social interaction and communication and by repetitive and/or ritualistic behaviors. Studies have shown a substantial increase in children diagnosed with autism over the past 10 to 20 years; approximately 1 in 150 births. Autism could impact an estimated 4 million Americans in the next decade.

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