U.S. Research Policy: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appoints five new public members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)

At the April 30, 2010 full meeting of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - the Federal advisory committee mandated by The Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-416 – ) to coordinate research activities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC), five new public members appointed by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius were added to the Committee.

"The new members will bring additional points of view and expertise to the IACC...'By adding new voices to the IACC and expanding the number of organizations represented on the committee, we hope to broaden our perspectives and increase coordination efforts,' said Dr. Thomas Insel, IACC Chairman and director of the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)."

New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee:

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks

Dr. Dawson is the Chief Science Officer for Autism Speaks, working with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at University of Washington.

Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Scientific Director, Simons Foundation

Dr. Fischbach is the Scientific Director for the Simons Foundation, where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.

Ari Ne'eman
Founding President of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)

Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the Founding President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.

Denise D. Resnik
Co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; President of Denise Resnik & Associates

Denise Resnik is the co-founder and Board Development Chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.

Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis

Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program, where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD.

These five new members join those Public members already on the IACC,

Lee Grossman
President and CEO
Autism Society
Bethesda, MD

Yvette M. Janvier, M.D.
Medical Director
Children's Specialized Hospital
Toms River, NJ

Christine M. McKee, J.D.
Rockville, MD

Lyn Redwood, R.N., M.S.N.
Co-Founder and Vice President
Coalition for SafeMinds
Tyrone, GA

Stephen M. Shore, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Autism Spectrum Consulting
Newton, MA

Alison Tepper Singer, M.B.A.
President
Autism Science Foundation
New York, NY

and the Federal Members who represent different agencies.

For further information

HHS Secretary Sebelius Appoints Five New Members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Friday, April 30, 2010

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Member Roster

Past post
Thursday, April 29, 2010
April 30, 2010 Meeting of the Full Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC); Live videocast available

Saturday, February 6, 2010
U.S. Research Policy: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee releases the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.

April 30, 2010 Meeting of the Full Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC); Live videocast available

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - the Federal advisory committee mandated by The Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-416 – ) to coordinate research activities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC), will be holding a full meeting of the Committee on Friday, April 30, 2010.

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Full Committee Meeting Agenda
Friday, April 30, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Pacific)

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Rotunda Room
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

This meeting will also be available to the public by live videocast.
Schedule subject to change. Meeting may end prior to or later than 5:00 p.m. depending on the needs of the committee.
See the agenda website for full schedule and link to the videocast

Of particular interest may be,
Research Update: Autism Treatment Network
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks

Research Update: Autism in the DSM-V
Susan E. Swedo, M.D.
Senior Investigator, Behavioral Pediatrics Section
Pediatrics and Developmental Neurospsychiatry Branch, NIMH

Research Update: NIH Nonverbal ASD Workshop
Helen Tager-Flusberg, Ph.D.
Director, Laboratory of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston University
Ann Wagner, Ph.D.
Chief, Neurobehavioral Mechanisms and Mental Disorders Branch, NIMH

Research Update: Building the Infrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research on Disability Issues
Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo, M.D., MSc, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Office on Disability, Office of the Secretary

Past posts
Sunday, April 4, 2010
U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee issues, "2009 Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research"

© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.

April 19, 2010 Conference Call/Webinar on IACC Planning for updates to 2010 Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - the Federal advisory committee mandated by The Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-416 – ) to coordinate research activities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC), will be holding a

Conference Call and Webinar of the Subcommittee for Planning the Annual Strategic Plan Updating Process Monday, April 19, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET. The agenda is to discuss plans for updating the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research.

 The public is welcome to participate and no registration is required.

Conference Call Access
USA/Canada Phone Number: 888-577-8995
Access code: 1991506

Webinar Access
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/455522202

Please visit the IACC Events page for the latest information about the conference call, including access information, as well as all other IACC events.
For more information about the IACC.
To follow the IACC on Twitter

The Contact Person for this conference call is:
Ms. Lina Perez
Office of Autism Research Coordination
National Institute of Mental Health, NIH
6001 Executive Boulevard, NSC
Room 8185a
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 301-443-6040
IACCpublicinquiries@mail.nih.gov

Past blog posts
 
Saturday, February 6, 2010
U.S. Research Policy: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee releases the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Sunday, April 4, 2010
U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee issues, "2009 Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research"

© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.

U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee issues, "2009 Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research"

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), the body established in accordance with the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-416), and whose charge is to

"coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services concerning autism spectrum disorder to combat autism through research, screening, intervention and education. The Committee’s primary mission is to facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information on autism activities among the member agencies, and to coordinate autism-related programs and initiatives"

has issued a new report,

2009 Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

in which the IACC identifies what they have selected as the twenty top studies from the peer-reviewed literature of 2009 providing significant insight into prevalence, biology, potential risk factors and possible interventions related to autism spectrum disorders.

The current report has a somewhat different format than the prior reports of 2008 and 2007 in being more of a list of articles than a background document.

The twenty articles selected for 2009 from the 63 nominated are,

1. Aman, M.G., McDougle, C.J., Scahill, L., Handen, B., Arnold, L.E., Johnson, C,, et al. (2009).. Medication and parent training in children with pervasive developmental disorders and serious behavior problems: results from a randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48(12),1143-1154.
2. Atladóttir, H.O., Pedersen, M.G., Thorsen, P., Mortensen, P.B., Deleuran, B., Eaton, W.W., et al.(2009). Association of family history of autoimmune diseases and autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 124(2):687-94.
3. Bucan, M., Abrahams, B.S., Wang, K., Glessner. J.T., Herman, E.I., Sonnenblick, L.I., et al. (2009). Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes. Public Library of Science Genetics., 5(6):e1000536.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2006 Principal Investigators.(2009).  Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries, 58(10), 1-20.
5. Glessner, J.T., Wang, K., Cai, G., Korvatska, O., Kim, C.E., Wood, S., et al. (2009). Autism genome-wide copy number variation reveals ubiquitin and neuronal genes. Nature, 459(7246), 569-73.
6. Gregory, S.G., Connelly, J.J., Towers, A.J., Johnson, J., Biscocho, D., Markunas, C.A., et.al. Genomic and epigenetic evidence for oxytocin receptor deficiency in autism. BMC Medicine, 7:62.
7. Grether JK, Anderson MC, Croen LA, Smith D, Windham GC. (2009). Risk of autism and increasing maternal and paternal age in a large North American population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 170(9):1118-26.
8. Haswell, C.C., Izawa, J., Dowell, L.R., Mostofsky, S.H., & Shadmehr, R.(2009). Representation of internal models of action in the autistic brain. Nature Neuroscience,12(8),970-2.
9. Ibrahim, S.H., Voigt, R.G., Katusic, S.K., Weaver, A.L., & Barbaresi, W.J.(2009). Incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism: a population-based study. Pediatrics,124(2), 680-6.
10. King M, Bearman P. Diagnostic change and the increased prevalence of autism. International Journal of Epidemiology, 38(5),1224-34.
11. Klin, A., Lin, D.J., Gorrindo, P., Ramsay, G.,& Jones, W. (2009). Two-year-olds with autism orient to non-social contingencies rather than biological motion. Nature. 459(7244), 257-61.
12. Kogan, M.D., Blumberg, S.J., Schieve, L.A., Boyle, C.A., Perrin, J.M., Ghandour, R.M., et al. (2009). Prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder among children in the US, 2007. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1395-403.
13. Mandell, D.S., Wiggin,s L.D., Carpenter, L.A., Daniels, J., DiGuiseppi, C., Durkin, M.S., et al. (2009). Racial/ethnic disparities in the identification of children with autism spectrum disorders. American Journal of Public Health, 99(3), 493-8.
14. Nakatani, J., Tamada, K., Hatanaka, F., Ise, S., Ohta, H., Inoue, K., et al (2009). Abnormal behavior in a chromosome-engineered mouse model for human 15q11-13 duplication seen in autism. Cell, 137(7),1235-46.
15. Ramocki, M.B., Peters, S.U., Tavyev, Y.J., Zhang, F., Carvalho, C.M., Schaaf, C.P., et al. (2009). Autism and other neuropsychiatric symptoms are prevalent in individuals with MeCP2 duplication syndrome. Annals of Neurology. 66(6),771-82.
16. Shattuck, P.T., Durkin, M., Maenner, M., Newschaffer, C., Mandell, D.S., Wiggins, L., et al. (2009). Timing of identification among children with an autism spectrum disorder: findings from a population-based surveillance study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48(5), 474-83.
17. Tropea, D., Giacometti, E., Wilson, N.R., Beard, C., McCurry C., Fu, D.D., et al. (2009). Partial reversal of Rett Syndrome-like symptoms in MeCP2 mutant mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U S A., 106(6), 2029-34.
18. Wang, K., Zhang, H., Ma, D., Bucan, M., Glessner, J.T., Abrahams, B.S., et al. (2009). Common genetic variants on 5p14.1 associate with autism spectrum disorders. Nature. 459(7246),528-33.
19. Weiss, L.A., Arking, D.E., Gene Discovery Project of Johns Hopkins & the Autism Consortium, Daly, M.J., & Chakravarti, A. (2009). A genome-wide linkage and association scan reveals novel loci for autism. Nature, 461(7265),802-8.
20. Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Lord, C., Rogers, S., Carter, A., Carver, L., et al. (2009). Clinical assessment and management of toddlers with suspected autism spectrum disorder: insights from studies of high-risk infants. Pediatrics, 123(5),1383-91.

Previous post
Saturday, February 6, 2010
U.S. Research Policy: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee releases the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research 

© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.

U.S. Research Policy: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee releases the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

On Wednesday February 3, 2010, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - the Federal advisory committee mandated by The Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-416 – ) to coordinate research activities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) released the


2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research.

This report describes the history of the IACC and Plan, the process by which the IACC develops the Plan, revisions, new areas of research emphasis - for example, increased emphasis on adults and non-verbal persons with ASDs - and then in each section elaborates the itemized questions in the broad categories, discussing what is known, what needs remain, proposed research opportunities to address these questions (short-term and long-term objectives), and a recommended budget. The 2010 Plan adds 32 brand-new objectives and describes a budget of about 965 million dollars distributed over 2 to 5 years.

Preface
Introduction
1. When Should I Be Concerned?
2. How Can I Understand What Is Happening?
3. What Caused This To Happen And Can This Be Prevented?
4. Which Treatments And Interventions Will Help?
5. Where Can I Turn For Services?
6. What Does The Future Hold?
7. What other Infrastructure and Surveillance Needs Must be Met?
Research Resources

This second edition of the Strategic Plan was expanded by the IACC over the past year with extensive input from families, people with ASD, researchers, clinicians, federal and private funders of ASD research and autism advocacy organizations - through participation in meetings held by the IACC (in-person, webcast and phone conference options available), email communication to the IACC, and by responding to the annual Request for Information.

Participation in a meeting automatically adds the attendee to an email list to receive further notices from the IACC on meetings, RFIs, reports and other activities.

There is also an IACC Twitter group where committee meeting schedules and notices are shared.

-------------------------------
For Further Reading and Reference
These references can also be found on the IACC website.

IACC News Update: Release of the 2010 Strategic Plan
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The 2010 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research - January 19, 2010

Soon to be posted 2010 Strategic Plan Budget

Responses to the 2009 IACC Request for Information (RFI)


© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.