N.J. has the highest child autism rate in America. The Senate just sent Trump a bill to help. – NJ.com

WASHINGTON — New Jersey has the highest rate of autistic children in the country, and the U.S. Senate just cleared legislation to help them.

The bill, passed by voice vote on Thursday, renews federal autism programs, which otherwise would expire at the end of this month. It would provide $1.8 billion over the next three years to help the 1.5 million children on the autistic spectrum.

Having earlier passed the House, the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., sponsored a version in the Senate.

One in 34 In New Jersey children are on the autism spectrum, the highest rate in the country. Nationally, the rate is 1 in 59 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bill also will help adults with autism.

“Our legislation marks a leap forward in federal autism policy by recognizing the needs to invest in research to address an individual’s evolving needs across a lifespan,” Menendez said.

Smith authored the original autism law in 2000 after meeting Bobbie and Billy Gallagher of Brick, two of his constituents, parents of two small autistic children who were looking for help.

A federal report released in April found that the autism rate for 4-year-olds in New Jersey rose by 43 percent between 2010 and 2014.

Suzanne Buchanan, Autism New Jersey’s executive director, said the legislation “will provide vital federal support to monitor prevalence, train healthcare professionals, promote collaboration among federal agencies, and address individuals’ and families’ challenges across the lifespan.”

New Jersey residents seeking services can call Autism New Jersey’s helpline at 1-800-4AUTISM or can go online at AutismNJ.org.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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