We, the undersigned,draw the attention of the Members of the Legislative Assembly of PEI to the following; Whereas the most recent research by the U.S. government and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) indicates a prevalence rate of 1 in 100 children are now affected by autism; And Whereas on Prince Edward Island, Government's own data indicates that hundreds of Islanders are living with Autism; And Whereas lengthy wait times persist for diagnosis and treatment and ongoing staffing shortages are having a negative impact on service delivery; And Whereas the Miriam Foundation's Canadian Best Practices Guidelines state the time between the referral from a primary practitioner and the beginning of the interdisciplinary assessment should be no longer than three months; And Whereas the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island passed Motion No. 60 one year ago on November 20, 2008 which committed to address the challenges facing Islanders of all ages and the families/caregivers impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders; And Whereas numerous studies by government have identified the urgent need to upgrade autism services, including the Disability Services Review; And Whereas a year later no substantial improvements to services have been made to these services; Therefore your petitioners request the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island to immediately improve autism services for all individuals affected by autism by implementing a comprehensive Provincial Autism Strategy.