The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (Autism CARES) Act has been extended for five years.
What It Means
The five-year extension of this federal law creates a pathway for $1.95 billion to be spent with the funds will going toward:
- Research
- Early detection
- Prevalence tracking
- Screening
- Professional training
- Intervention services
- Other related government activities
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), received “overwhelming bipartisan support.”
Under the law’s extension, the Autism CARES Act will:
- “Encourage research focused on the daily life challenges of autistic people across the lifespan with a new emphasis on autism and aging.
- Further efforts for greater inclusivity in research activities, so that studies reflect the full range of needs of support and services to ensure the physical safety and well-being of all autistic people.
- Require a report to identify and develop a strategy for expanding the developmental-behavioral pediatrician workforce.
- Create an Autism Intervention Research Network for Communication Needs (AIR-C) to address how to best support autistic people who are non-speaking or may need additional communication support.
- Create a technical assistance program to provide training and assistance in providing individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities with access to evidence-based services, tools and technologies that support communication needs to states, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, localities, or territories.
- Require HHS to develop a Report to Congress on the mental health of autistic people.
- Increase the minimum number of NIH Autism Centers of Excellence – research networks that have provided us with a much clearer picture of the significant disparities that autistic people experience in terms of access to quality health care, daily life supports and services.
- Require a professional judgment budget that will provide the autism community and Congress with a transparent plan that outlines a strategic direction and resource needs for autism research for years to come.” autismspeaks.org.