I don’t have a lot of details, but heard this in the local headlines on KWMU this morning. Just a couple of links on Google News, I expect more over the next few days (weeks)? From the Joplin Globe:
A statewide commission on autism spectrum disorders will be assembled and, by July 1 of next year, will produce a plan for Missouri to offer treatment, training and other services.
[…]
The commission will be made up of representatives from the General Assembly, health-related state agencies and autism-related organizations, and parents. Kinder was filling in for Gov. Matt Blunt, who is out of state.
[…]
Kinder spokesman Gary McElyea said members of the state commission should be chosen fairly quickly.
As you might imagine, there is a lot of disagreement about what exactly the commission should do, what should be its priorities, blah blah. I applaud the gesture, and the intent, of the commission, but I’ll withhold any real assessment until I see what they actually plan to do.
no straight lines 
Though I’m not a Missourian, there’s one thing that’s already got me worried:
“representatives from the General Assembly, health-related state agencies and autism-related organizations, and parents.”
If the “autism-related organizations” are all in the Autism Speaks mold, this may very well mean that there’s *no autistic representation* on a board that’s supposed to advocate for autistics…
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Codeman38,
I share your concern, I”ll be keeping an eye out. I’m also wondering how they will select the parents who will serve on the commission and how I can get my name in the hat. (Assuming, of course, I really want to do that.)
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