Bush Admin Plans for Autism

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From: Randee

Bush Administration Unveils Autism Plan

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IACC), established by the Child

Health Act of 2000 and led by the National Institute of Mental Health

(NIMH), has presented a long-term, interagency plan to address the growing

numbers of diagnoses of autism in the United States.

The plan includes objectives such as the development of teaching methods

that will allow 90 percent of autistic children to speak; the identification

of genetic and non-genetic causes of the condition; and adequate services

for all affected children in the next 7 to 10 years.

The three-pronged plan sets goals for more coordinated biomedical research,

earlier screening and diagnosis, and effective therapy. The plan demands,

for the first time, collaboration between scientists, clinicians, educators,

and policymakers in an array of federal agencies, and lays out a timeline,

in increments of 1 to 3 years, 4 to 6 years and 7 to 10 years and then ranks

goals according to the likelihood of achieving them. Realistic goals in each

of the three stages include the development, evaluation, and institution of

effective treatments, in collaboration with the Department of Education.

Goals listed as more challenging include finding effective drugs for the

symptoms of autism and identifying environmental factors that may contribute

to the development of the disorder.

FMI: The IACC Web site is http://www.nimh.nih.gov/autismiacc/index.cfm .

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