Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says autism is an issue "near and dear" to her heart and she can't wait to get to work helping more than 5,000 Nevada families affected by it.  However, when pressed, she was unable to provide details on a plan to do that.

"We want to give every child a chance," Palin told a reporter for the NBC affiliate in Reno, Shelby Sheehan, in an exclusive interview during a campaign stop on Tuesday. 

Palin's running mate John McCain said in the third and final presidential debate, "We must find out the cause of autism and help those families dealing with autism."  McCain also promised to freeze all unnecessary spending in the federal budget. 

Palin says it's possible to do both.

"It is a smart thing for John McCain to say we will have a federal freeze on spending except for those things that are vital for government," she said.   

"There are a lot of wasteful expenditures in the federal (government)," Palin said. "Let's get rid of those and put them into strengthening NIH (National Institutes of Health) and these other areas where we can help our kids with autism." 

Palin did not name any specific expenditure she wanted to cut in favor of funding for autism research or services, nor did she name what specific programs she'd like to fund in order to help those families. 

Palin has a nephew stricken with autism and a son with Down's syndrome. She often tells crowds she will be an advocate for disabled children in Washington. 

"Here's the difference between John McCain and our ticket and Barack Obama and Joe Biden," she said.  "We don't just talk the talk, we walk the walk.  And that's why in not just that first speech, but in every speech I give, I talk about being an advocate and a friend in the White House for our families who have members who have these special needs." 

McCain has supported autism initiatives in the past, but has not articulated how he plans to advocate for those families from the White House.

Barack Obama has released a specific plan to help the families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He has promised $1 billion annually in support and services by the end of his first term as president. He has also promised to appoint a Federal Autism Spectrum Disorder Coordinator to oversee all federal efforts and fully fund the Combating Autism Act.

The Obama campaign released several documents detailing its plans to help Americans with disabilities.