HHS Announces Appointment of New Membership and New Chair for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
October 28, 2015
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the appointments of new and returning members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), reauthorized under the Autism CARES Act. After an open call for nominations for members of the public to serve on the committee, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell appointed this group of individuals to provide her with advice to advance research, strengthen services, and increase opportunities for people on the autism spectrum. The public member appointees include three adults on the autism spectrum, several family members of children and adults on the autism spectrum, clinicians, researchers, and leaders of national autism research, services, and advocacy organizations. Many of the appointed individuals serve dual roles, dedicating their professional careers to helping people on the autism spectrum because of their personal experiences with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first meeting of the new committee will take place on November 17, 2015 in Rockville, Maryland.
In addition to the new public members, the IACC will have a new chair when it reconvenes. Dr. Thomas Insel, who served as the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and as Chair of the committee for more than a decade, announced his planned departure for Google Life Sciences at the end of October 2015. Dr. Bruce Cuthbert, who will become Acting Director of NIMH on November 1, has been appointed to serve as the IACC Chair over the next year.
Autism research, services, and advocacy organizations represented by new and returning appointees to the committee include: Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Arc of the United States, Autism Science Foundation, Autism Speaks, Autism Society, Simons Foundation, and Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Federal departments and agencies represented on the committee include several agencies within HHS: Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Community Living, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and National Institutes of Health; as well as Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Defense .
The responsibilities of the committee include annually updating the IACC Strategic Plan for ASD, preparing an annual summary of advances in ASD research, monitoring federal ASD activities, and providing guidance to the HHS Secretary on matters related to ASD.
View the full HHS press release at right.
