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Washington, DC – It was announced last Friday that the Department of Defense (DoD) would manage a $7.5 million Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 congressional appropriation specifically targeting autism spectrum disorder research. In the meeting entitled "Overview of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)," the DoD reached out to stakeholders in the autism community in an effort to identify under funded areas of investigation and solicit feedback regarding the most promising areas of research. Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN of SafeMinds and the National Autism Association who attended the meeting suggested that the DoD funds should go to "need to know" and not "nice to know" research. "The latest science points to a genetic susceptibility that is environmentally triggered. As a result, the perception that autism is lifelong and incurable should be abandoned to follow the line of reasoning that autism is indeed preventable and thus treatable." Redwood pointed out that children with autism suffer with medical problems that have been largely overlooked because autism is classified as a "psychiatric" disease. "We need to recognize that these children are sick and when these issues are addressed with targeted medical interventions, often the child's overall health improves to the point where some have lost their diagnosis of autism." About the CDMRP: The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, or CDMRP, is currently allocating funding towards seven research programs, including the Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program. CDMRP's mission is to "Provide hope by promoting innovative research, recognizing untapped opportunities, creating partnerships, and guarding the public trust." The program seeks to complement other funding agencies by identifying and funding targeted research that addresses novel or under investigated areas. The CDMRP has a history of valuing community involvement, an approach that could make all the difference in finding a cure. The DoD CDMRP research funding began 15 years ago when $25 million was awarded to breast cancer research. Today, that number is $127.5 million and CDMRP is the second largest funder of breast cancer research in the world. According to the DoD, requests for autism research applications could start in July of 07, and funding awarded to selected researchers by November 07. An overview of CDMRP's history and other programs is available at http://cdmrp.army.mil/.
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