Hello my name is Autism and I running for president.

Ok, not really.  But I am trying to become an issue in the upcoming presidential campaign.  I am a little shocked that I am being forced to promote myself, I would like to think that my body of work would have spoken for itself.  It cannot believe these suits aren't even bringing my name up in passing while they press the flesh on the trail. 

Let me remind them who I am:


AUTISM BIO:


I (autism) am a  complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. I am part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders.

• 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with me.
• 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
• 67 children are diagnosed per day
• A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
• There is no medical detection or cure for me
• More children will be diagnosed with me this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• I am  the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have me
• Over four hundred thousand people in America are diagnosed with me..
• Millions and millions of families are affected by my diagnosis.
  

You would think with those numbers that I should be brought up at least once in a debate or in some sort of policy speech.  The sad thing is after an looooooong search on line I cannot find a candidate who has made an official statement about me while they are campaigning.  Think about that.  In the next 10 years I am going to be billing the US 180 billion dollars per year!  That is a lot of hair gel Mr. Romney!  You would think with that kind of expense I require that I would be something that a candidate or a debate moderator would bring up.

Did you know that in 2005 the National Institute of Health had a budget of 29 billion.  Of that research into me was only allocated 100 million.  Which seems like a lot of money but it ends up only being about 0.3 % of the entire budget.  This is not alot considering that I am affecting many more children than any other disorders.  But this is a subject for another day...

My anger grew during the week when I got to watching the Democratic debate in South Carolina, and the Republican debate last night from Boca Raton.   They could have suspended their stump speeches for a moment and addressed the millions of Americans who are either diagnosed with or caring for people with me  They could have decided that instead of making snide and unproductive comments about their rivals they would instead talk about their plan to deal with my epidemic.  They did not.  They continued to ignore me while they are in the spot light.

I am neither republican or democrat.  I don't care who wins.  I just want some press time.  I am worthy of being an issue that is brought up at least a couple times during a primary race.  I wonder how many people I have touched with my condition feel the same way?  I am not so arrogant to believe that I am the only thing that they should be discussing, but I believe the fact that I am spreading so quickly should move me up on the radar.

The only good thing I see is that some of the candidates have at least mentioned me on their web sites.  Mrs. Clinton has outlined a strategy to deal with me, although I not convinced that she really views me as a major issue because I cannot find anywhere where she has brought me up at a rally, town hall meeting, etc.  Mr. Edwards, and Obama have put my name of their sites.  They recognize what I am capable of.  They just have no serious strategy to handle me.  They, too have been reluctant to talk about me in front of the cameras.

As for the republicans...well...we completely strike out here.  They don't mention me on their web sites, or from their lips.  Gov Huckabee did in fact help out at a fund raiser that was dedicated to me.  That is.  They have not said, written, or even inferred anything in an official statement about what they think about me.  I am stunned that they have not as there are many people I know who would be instantly drawn to their bid if they came out with a plan.

So I decided since I feel worthy enough to be an issue I would have to force my own name out there during the next 10 months.  I enlisted my remarkably handsome friend John Roedel to help me get my name on the lips of the candidates.  He has started a website called Autism 08 .  This will serve as a resource for people to check in with the different candidates to see what their position on me is.  John is still building the site, so pardon the dust. He will continue to try and contact each of the candidates to see if they would update or make a statement.  John will have each of the candidates contact information listed so other people can get a hold of them as well.  Mr. Roedel has actually had a conversation with an aide for the Huckabee campaign who assured him that the Governor was planning on talking about me soon.  It does appear that maybe if these candidates can be bugged enough that they will in fact communicate with us.

If you are a face booker, you can search for autism 08 and join a group that Roedel started.

Hopefully in the next few weeks we can activate these campaigns to push me into their platforms.