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Spearheaded by , a non-profit advocacy and support group based in southern New Jersey, the awareness campaign encourages schools, businesses and people nationally and internationally, to assemble and blow bubbles at the exact same time 鈥� 1:15 p.m. to 1:16 p.m. EST. Last year, more than 57,202 people participated from 303 locations.
鈥淣ew Jersey has one of the best systems in the nation for identifying, diagnosing and caring for individuals with autism,鈥� said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez, whose department provides to adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. 鈥淭here is a vast infrastructure in place that supports individuals with autism from birth through adulthood.鈥�
听鈥淚n New Jersey, one in forty-nine children is on the autism spectrum,鈥� said Mary E. O鈥橠owd, Commissioner of the Department of Health, which provides services to children with delays, developmental disabilities and autism. 鈥淩aising awareness is essential to getting children diagnosed early and engaged in therapies that can improve some of their core developmental skills.鈥�
This year, services for children with developmental disabilities were transferred from DHS鈥� Division of Developmental Disabilities to the Department of Children and Families鈥� (DCF) , creating access to a comprehensive array of services to help meet their needs.
鈥淭he Division of Children鈥檚 System of Care brings together programs previously scattered throughout state government and provides a holistic approach for children with multiple needs,鈥� said Allison Blake, Commissioner of DCF. 鈥淔amilies want and need a single point of entry for these services.鈥�
In August 2010, DHS operationalized an Office on Autism as recommended by its Adults with Autism Task Force. The Office serves as a centralized place to address issues associated with ASD through its 听resource guide, which helps identify various state programs and services for people with Autism.
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