Susan Collins: “There has been an alarming increase in the diagnosis of autism in this country. Back in the 1980s, it was 1 in 2,500…”

“There has been an alarming increase in the diagnosis of autism in this country. Back in the 1980s, it was 1 in 2,500 children. As the Senator from Connecticut has indicated, the current statistics are 1 in 150. That means that some 1.5 million children and their families are coping with this disease. This is an area where more research can make a tremendous difference. I urge adoption of the Dodd-Collins amendment.”