Berry continued his advocacy for people with disabilities in the past week by persuading the Senate to include an autism study in the state budget.

Berry's budget amendment asks the Department of Public Health to analyze the rates of autism among children in the state. That analysis would compare rates in different towns, as well as looking at rates in other states. Berry said the study is a step toward more thorough research in what appears to be a growing problem. He said there still is no clear answer why autism rates are on the rise nationwide.