DOCUMENT RESUME ED 466 915 EC 309 063 TITLE Autism: Present Challenges, Future Needs--Why the Increased Rates? Hearing before the Committee on Government Reform. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session (April 6,2000). INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Government Reform. REPORT NO House-Hrg-106-180 PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 483p. AVAILABLE FROM Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402-9328. Tel: 202-512-1800. For full text: http://www.house.gov/reform. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF02/PC20 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Autism; *Child Health; Children; *Disease Control; *Etiology; Family Problems; Hearings; *Immunization Programs; Incidence; Influences; Parent Attitudes; *Preventive Medicine; Research Needs; Symptoms (Individual Disorders) IDENTIFIERS Congress 106th; Vaccination ABSTRACT This document contains the proceedings of a hearing on April 6, 2000, before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform. The hearing addressed the increasing rate of children diagnosed with autism, possible links between autism and childhood vaccinations, and future needs of these children. After opening statements by congressmen on the Committee, the statements and testimony of Kenneth Curtis, James Smythe, Shelley Reynolds, Jeana Smith, Scott Bono, and Dr. Wayne M. Danker, all parents of children with autism, are included. Their statements discuss symptoms of autism, vaccination concerns, family problems, financial concerns, and how parents can be helped. The statements and testimony of the second panel are then provided, including that of Andrew Wakefield, John O'Leary, Vijendra K. Singh, Coleen A. Boyle, Ben Schwartz, Paul A. Offit, and Brent Taylor. These doctors and disease control experts discuss the possible relationship between vaccinations and autism. Following, the statement and testimony of Walter 0. Spitzer discusses the epidemiology of autism and childhood vaccinations. The statements and testimony of the next panel are then provided, including that of Bernard Rimland, Michael J. Goldberg, Mary N. Megson, John E. Upledger, Cathy L. Pratt, Deborah G. Hirtz, and Edwin H. Cook. These doctors discuss the safety of vaccinations, research needs in the autism field, and possible causes of autism. (CR) ENTIREDOWENT POORPRINTMALI Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. AUTISM: PRESENT CHALLENGES, FUTURE NEEDS- WHY THE INCREASED RATES? HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION APRIL 6, 2000 Serial No. 106-180 Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform Available via the World Wide Web: http : / /www.gpo.gov /congress/house http://www.house.gov/reform U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 69-622 DTP WASHINGTON : 2001 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.govPhone: (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001 2_, AUTISM: PRESENT CHALLENGES, FUTURE NEEDS- WHY THE INCREASED RATES? HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION APRIL 6, 2000 Serial No. 106-180 Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.govicongress/house httpi /www.house.gov /reform U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 69-622 DTP WASHINGTON : 2001 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC ;0402-0001 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM DAN BURTON, Indiana, Chairman BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York HENRY A. WAXMAN, California CONSTANCE A. MORELLA, Maryland TOM LANTOS, California CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut ROBERT E. WISE, JR., West Virginia ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida MAJOR R. OWENS, New York JOHN M. McHUGH, New York EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York STEPHEN HORN, California PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania JOHN L. MICA, Florida PATSY T. MINK, Hawaii THOMAS M. DAVIS, Virginia CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York DAVID M. McINTOSH, Indiana ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, Washington, MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana DC JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland MARSHALL "MARK" SANFORD, South DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio Carolina ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Illinois BOB BARR, Georgia DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois DAN MILLER, Florida JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts ASA HUTCHINSON, Arkansas JIM TURNER, Texas LEE TERRY, Nebraska THOMAS H. ALLEN, Maine JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois HAROLD E. FORD, JR., Tennessee GREG WALDEN, Oregon JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois DOUG OSE, California PAUL RYAN, Wisconsin BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont HELEN CHENOWETH-HAGE, Idaho (Independent) DAVID VITTER, Louisiana KEVIN BINGER, Staff Director DANIEL R. MOLL, Deputy Staff Director DAVID A. KAss, Deputy Counsel and Parliamentarian LISA SMITH ARAFUNE, Chief Clerk PHIL SCHILIRO, Minority Staff Director CONTENTS Page Hearing held on April 6, 2000 1 Statement of: Curtis, Kenneth, Catonsville, MD; James Smythe, Cannel, IN; Shelley Reynolds, Baton Rouge, LA; Jeana Smith, Denham Springs, LA; Scott Bono, Durham, NC; and Dr. Wayne M. Dankner, San Diego, CA 49 Rim land, Bernard, Ph.D., Autism Research Institute, San Diego, CA; Dr. Michael J. Goldberg, Director, NIDS Medical Advisory Board, Tarzana, CA; Dr. Mary N. Megson, Pediatric and Adolescent Abilities Center, Richmond, VA; Dr. John E. Up ledger, the Up ledger Institute, Clearwater, FL; Cathy L. Pratt, Indiana Resource Center for Autism; Dr. Deborah G. Hinz, National Institutes of Health; Dr. Edwin H. Cook, Jr., University of Chicago 327 Spitzer, Dr. Walter 0., professor emeritus of epidemiology, McGill Uni- versity, and member, National Academy of Science of the United States, Corpus Christi, TX 187 Wakefield, Dr. Andrew, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, England; Dr. John O'Leary, Coombe Women's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Vijendra K. Singh, Utah State University; Co leen A. Boyle, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accompanied by Dr. Ben Schwartz, Acting Director, Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, CDC; Dr. Paul A. Offit, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and Dr. Brent Taylor, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Lon- don, England .101 Letters, statements, et cetera, submitted for the record by: Bono, Scott, Durham, NC, prepared statement of 85 Boyle, Co leen A., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. De- partment of Health and Human Services: Prevalence of Autism report 198 Prepared statement of 148 Cook, Dr. Edwin H., Jr., University of Chicago, prepared statement of 463 Curtis, Kenneth, Catonsville, MD, prepared statement of 52 Dankner, Dr. Wayne M., San Diego, CA, prepared statement of 90 Goldberg, Dr. Michael J.,Director, NIDS Medical Advisory Board, Tarzana, CA, prepared statement of 339 Hirtz, Dr. Deborah G., National Institutes of Health, prepared statement of 450 Megson, Dr. Mary N., Pediatric and Adolescent Abilities Center, Rich- mond, VA, prepared statement of 424 O'Leary, Dr. John, Coombe Women's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, prepared statement of 128 Offit, Dr. Paul A., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, pre- pared statement of 165 Pratt, Cathy L., Indiana Resource Center for Autism, prepared statement of 444 Reynolds, Shelley, Baton Rouge, LA, prepared statement of 70 Rim land, Bernard, Ph.D., Autism Research Institute, San Diego, CA, prepared statement of 331 Singh, Vijendra K., Utah State University, prepared statement of 142 Smith, Jeana, Denham Springs, LA, prepared statement of 77 Smythe, James, Carmel, IN, prepared statement of 58 Taylor, Dr. Brent, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, England, prepared statement of 173 IV Page Letters, statements, et cetera, submitted for the record byContinued Up ledger, Dr. John E., the Up ledger Institute, Clearwater, FL, prepared statement of 435 Wakefield, Dr. Andrew, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, England, prepared statement of 107 Waxman, Hon. Henry A., a Representative in Congress from the State of California: Documents from the Autism Autoimmunity Project 230 Various prepared statements 8 AUTISM: PRESENT CHALLENGES, FUTURE NEEDS-WHY THE INCREASED RATES? THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2000 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:37 a.m., in room 2154, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dan Burton (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present:RepresentativesBurton,Morella, Ros-Lehtinen, McHugh, Horn, LaTourette, Hutchinson, Terry,Biggert,Ose, Chenoweth-Hage, Waxman, Norton, Kucinich, Tierney, and Turner. Staff present: Kevin Binger, staff director; Daniel R. Moll, deputy staff director; David A. Kass, deputy counsel and parliamentarian; Mark Cora llo, director of communications; S. Elizabeth Clay, Nicole Petrosino, and Nat Weinecke, professional staff members; Robert Briggs, deputy chief clerk; Robin Butler, office manager; Michael Canty, legislative aide; Scott, Fagan and John Sare staff assistants; Toni Light le, legislative assistant; Leneale Scott, computer systems manager; Lisa Smith Arafune, chief clerk; Corinne Zaccagnini, sys- tems administrator; Phil Schiliro, minority