[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56839-56840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26394]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more 
information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data 
collection plans and draft instruments, e-mail [email protected] or 
call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited on: (a) The proposed collection of information 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency; (b) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project Title: Combating Autism Act Initiative Evaluation 
(New)

    Background: In response to the growing need for research and 
resources devoted to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other 
developmental disorders (DD), the U.S. Congress passed the Combating 
Autism Act (CAA) in 2006. This Act authorized federal programs to 
combat ASD and other DD through research, screening, intervention, and 
education. Through the CAA, the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) is tasked with increasing awareness of ASD and 
other DD, reducing barriers to screening and diagnosis, promoting 
evidence-based interventions, and training health care professionals in 
the use of valid and reliable screening and diagnostic tools.
    Purpose: HRSA's activities under this legislation are conducted by 
the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), which is implementing the 
Combating Autism Act Initiative (CAAI) in response to the legislative 
mandate. The purpose of this evaluation is to design and implement a 
three-year evaluation to assess the effectiveness of MCHB's activities 
in meeting the goals and objectives of the CAAI, and to provide 
sufficient data to inform MCHB and the Congress as to the utility of 
the grant programs funded under the Initiative. To address the 
requirements for the Report to Congress, the evaluation will focus on 
short-term indicators related to: (1) Increasing awareness of ASD and 
other DD among health care providers, other MCH professionals and the 
general public; (2) reducing barriers to screening and diagnosis; (3) 
supporting research on evidence-based interventions; (4) promoting the 
development of evidence-based guidelines and tested/validated 
intervention tools; and (5) training professionals.
    Respondents: Grantees funded by HRSA under the CAAI will be the 
respondents for this data collection activity. The programs to be 
evaluated are listed below.

1. Training Programs

     Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities 
(LEND) training programs with thirty nine grantees.
     Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) training 
programs with six grantees; and
     A National Combating Autism Interdisciplinary Training 
Resource Center grantee.

2. Research Programs

     Two Autism Intervention Research Networks that focus on 
intervention research, guideline development, and information 
dissemination;
     Five R40 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Autism 
Intervention Research Program grantees that support research on 
evidence-based practices for interventions to improve the health and 
well-being of children and adolescents with ASD and other DD; and
     Two R40 MCH Autism Intervention Secondary Data Analysis 
Study (SDAS) Program grantees that support research on evidence-based 
practices for interventions to improve the health and well-being of 
children and adolescents with ASD and other DD, utilizing exclusively 
the analysis of existing secondary data.

3. State Implementation Program Grants for Improving Services for 
Children and Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Other 
Developmental Disabilities (DD)

     Nine grantees will implement state autism plans and 
develop models for improving the system of care for children and youth 
with ASD and other DD and
     A State Public Health Coordinating Center grantee.
    The data gathered through this evaluation will be used to:
     Evaluate the grantees' performance in achieving the 
objectives of the CAAI during the three year grant period;
     Assess the short- and intermediate-term impacts of the 
grant programs on children and families affected by ASD and other DD;
     Measure the CAAI outputs and outcomes for the Report to 
Congress; and
     Provide foundation data for future measurement of the 
initiative's long-term impact.

[[Page 56840]]



                                             Table 1--Estimated Hour and Cost Burden of the Data Collection
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             No. of       Responses per       Total       Average hours     Total hour                      Total hour
             Grant program                 respondents     respondent       responses     per  response       burden         Wage rate         cost
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEND...................................              39               6             234             .75            175.5          $39.36       $6,907.68
DBP....................................               6               6              36             .75             27             39.36        1,062.72
State Implementation Program...........               9               6              54             .75             40.5           38.22        1,547.91
Research Program.......................               9               6              54             .75             40.5           39.36        1,594.08
                                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..............................              63  ..............             378  ..............            283.5  ..............       11,112.39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The estimated response burden is shown in Table 1.
    E-mail comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports 
Clearance Officer, Room 10-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

    Dated: October 22, 2009.
Alexandra Huttinger,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. E9-26394 Filed 11-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P