Federal Resources

The Combating Autism Act of 2006

The Combating Autism Act of 2006 was signed by President Bush on December 19, 2006. This Act expands activities related to autism research, surveillance, prevention, screening, early detection and intervention, education, training and treatment. The new legislation will increase federal spending on autism by at least 50 percent. It includes provisions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and expands and intensifies biomedical research on autism. The Act also calls on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to enhance information sharing. The IACC provides a forum to facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information about autism activities, programs, policies, and research among the Federal government, several non-profit groups, and the public. The Combating Autism Act requires the IACC to provide information and recommendations on ASD-related programs, and to continue its work to develop and update annually a strategic plan for ASD research.

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

The Children's Health Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-310), Title I, Section 104, mandated the establishment of an Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to coordinate autism research and other efforts. The National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institutes of Health has been designated the lead for this activity. Members of IACC include agencies across departments and parents or legal guardians of individuals with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders.

Resources from the IACC

The Autism Summit Conference, (PDF: 222kb) organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Education and the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, was held on November 19-20, 2003 in order "to engage in a public dialogue concerning issues such as implementation of optimal services, early screening and diagnosis, and biomedical research." The archived webcast of the Autism Summit sessions is available.

The ASD Roadmap (PDF: 119kb) was developed by the ASD Expert Working Group (EWG), a panel of autism experts established by the Services Subcommittee of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee in July 2004. The EWG reviewed the state of the field to identify principles of best practices, challenges, and recommendations to provide the blueprint for a national public and private implementation plan for expanding and improving ASD services.

The Autism Research Matrix (PDF: 403kb) was developed by an IACC-convened panel of expert scientists that evaluated the field of autism research and developed a matrix of action items that could be used in planning for research in the years ahead. The matrix includes content areas of communication and collaboration, characterization of autism, school and community interventions, early intervention, epidemiological studies, specific treatments, neuroscience, screening, and the role of the environment in autism.

Resources from Members of the IACC

The National Institutes of Health support two major research networks dedicated to understanding and treating autism. The Autism Research Network Web site provides a single source of information about these networks and the research they conduct.

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an Autism Information Center that includes information about the rate of autism, symptoms of autism, and a link to CDC's public awareness campaign for early detection of autism, Learn the Signs. Act Early.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is doing research into various aspects of autism, including its causes, prevalence, and treatments. The NICHD Autism Research site provides easy access to the most current information about NICHD research projects, publications, news releases, and other activities related to autism and similar disorders.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) conducts and supports basic and clinical research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. Information on autism from the institute may be found at NIDCD Health Information: Autism and Communication.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) autism Web site includes booklets, summaries, fact sheets, autism research at NIMH including information on clinical trials that are being conducted, an autism listserv, conference and workshop summaries, and press releases.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) addresses neurological disease. Information from NINDS on autism spectrum disorders includes: