[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 192 (Thursday, October 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55851-55852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21883]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Request for Public Comments on the Development of the 2021-2022 
IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

SUMMARY: On behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee 
(IACC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office of Autism 
Research

[[Page 55852]]

Coordination (OARC) is seeking public comments to assist the IACC in 
identifying priorities for the 2021-2022 update of the IACC Strategic 
Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as required by the Autism 
Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) 
Act of 2019. The IACC is requesting public comments on research, 
services, and policy issues related to the seven topics addressed by 
the IACC Strategic Plan: Screening and Diagnosis, Biology, Risk 
Factors, Treatments and Interventions, Services, Lifespan Issues, and 
Infrastructure and Surveillance. The IACC is also requesting 
information on two additional issues related to autism described in two 
supplemental questions that are included in this Request for Public 
Comment.

DATES: Responses to this notice are voluntary and the public comment 
period will be open from October 1, 2021-November 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: All comments must be submitted electronically via the web-
based form at: https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/public-comments/requests-for-information/2021/strategic-plan.shtml.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Specific questions about this Request 
for Public Comment should be directed to: Rebecca Martin by phone at 
(301) 435-0886 or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IACC http://www.iacc.hhs.gov/ is a 
federal advisory committee composed of federal and public members that 
provides advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on autism 
spectrum disorder. The Committee is authorized under the Autism CARES 
Act of 2019, Public Law 116-60. The law requires that the IACC develop 
a Strategic Plan for autism research and update the Plan annually. The 
current IACC Strategic Plan can be viewed at: https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/strategic-plan/2019/. The IACC last provided an update on 
the progress of the Strategic Plan in 2019, after which the committee 
went out of session as a new committee was being appointed. The IACC 
reconvened in July 2021 and is now developing a new update of the IACC 
Strategic Plan.
    The IACC Strategic Plan chapters are organized around seven topic 
areas that are related to community-focused questions:

 Question 1. How Can I Recognize the Signs of ASD, and Why is 
Early Detection So Important? (Topic: Screening and Diagnosis)
 Question 2. What Is the Biology Underlying ASD? (Topic: 
Biology)
 Question 3. What Causes ASD, and Can Disabling Aspects of ASD 
be Prevented or Preempted? (Topic: Risk Factors)
 Question 4. Which Treatments and Interventions Will Help? 
(Topic: Treatments and Interventions)
 Question 5. What Kinds of Services and Supports Are Needed to 
Maximize Quality of Life for People on the Autism Spectrum? (Topic: 
Services)
 Question 6. How Can We Meet the Needs of People with ASD as 
They Progress into and through Adulthood? (Topic: Lifespan Issues)
 Question 7. How Do We Continue to Build, Expand, and Enhance 
the Infrastructure System to Meet the Needs of the ASD Community? 
(Topic: Infrastructure and Surveillance)

    The Committee also seeks public comment related to the two 
following questions:
     Supplemental Question 1. What are important issues for the 
IACC to consider with regard to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 
the autism community?
     Supplemental Question 2. What are important issues for the 
IACC to consider with regard to the needs of underserved populations 
within the autism community, including racial and ethnic minorities, 
economically disadvantaged communities, and rural populations?
    Submission Information. For each topic/question in the Request for 
Public Comment, commenters may provide input on what they consider to 
be the most important research, services, and policy issues and 
remaining gaps in the subject area covered by that Question.
    Please note that the web form will accept a maximum of 1,500 
characters (including letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.) per topic 
area. A valid email address is required for submission, and only one 
submission per email address will be accepted. If duplicate submissions 
are received (i.e., form letters), only one example of such a 
submission will be included in the final set of comments.
    The information that commenters provide will become part of the 
public record; as such, please do not include any personally 
identifiable or confidential information in the comments. The web form 
will provide the option of submitting responses anonymously, or the 
choice to include a name and/or organization associated with the 
comment. Comments are subject to redaction in accordance with federal 
policies and the IACC's public comment guidelines and privacy policy. 
To view the IACC's public comment guidelines and privacy policy, visit: 
https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/public-comments/guidelines/. All comments 
or summaries of comments received will be made publicly available on 
the IACC website www.iacc.hhs.gov within 90 days of the closing 
deadline for this notice. Email addresses associated with comments will 
not be included as part of the public disclosure. After the closing 
deadline, responses cannot be edited or withdrawn. No basis for claims 
against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to 
this request for information or from the Government's use of such 
information.
    Instructions. All comments must be submitted through the web form 
at https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/public-comments/requests-for-information/2021/strategic-plan.shtml. Individuals submitting comments 
will receive an onscreen confirmation acknowledging receipt of the 
comment, but commenters will not receive individualized feedback or 
responses from the IACC. Only one comment per email address will be 
accepted, and if duplicate comments are received, only one example will 
be provided to the IACC.

    Dated: September 30, 2021.
Susan A. Daniels,
Director, Office of Autism Research Coordination, National Institute of 
Mental Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-21883 Filed 10-6-21; 8:45 am]
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