by Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler

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.