Notice Number: NOT-MH-10-025

Key Dates
Release Date:  June 18, 2010
Response Date: July 30, 2010

Issued by
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)

Description

On behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) (http://www.iacc.hhs.gov/), the NIMH is seeking comments to inform the annual update of the IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Research (http://iacc.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/2010/index.shtml) as required by the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-416). 

Background

The IACC, a federal advisory committee composed of federal and public members, was established as a result of The Combating Autism Act of 2006.  The law requires that the IACC develop a strategic plan for autism research and update the Plan annually.  The first IACC Strategic Plan for ASD Research was issued in 2009 and the first update of the Plan was issued in 2010.  The Plan was developed through an extensive process engaging a wide range of stakeholders including federal agencies and the public.  The 2010 IACC Strategic Plan chapters are organized around seven questions that are important for people with ASD and their families:

1.  When should I be concerned? (Diagnosis)
2.  How can I understand what is happening? (Biology of ASD)
3.  What caused this to happen and can this be prevented? (Risk Factors)
4.  Which treatments and interventions will help? (Treatments and Interventions)
5.  Where can I turn for services? (Services)
6.  What does the future hold, especially for adults? (Lifespan Issues)
7.  What other infrastructure and surveillance needs must be met? (Surveillance and Infrastructure)

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit input from ASD stakeholders to inform the next update of the Strategic Plan.

Information Requested

For each chapter of the IACC Strategic Plan, please provide input on what has been learned about the issues covered in that chapter in the past year, and on what you consider to be the remaining gaps in the subject area covered by that chapter.  You will also have a space to comment on the introductory chapter and/or provide other general comments.

Please note that the web form will accept a maximum of 8,500 characters (including letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.) that may be distributed among the 17 boxes in the form as you wish.  This is approximately equivalent to 3 pages of text.  A character count feature at the top of the page will show how many characters have been used as you type and will let you know when the maximum number has been reached.   You will be able to easily move between chapters using the navigation buttons, which will allow you to revise your comments based on the number of characters used, or any other consideration.  Your registration information will not count as part of the limit of 8,500 characters.

The information that you provide will become part of the public record.  The web form will provide you with the option of submitting your responses anonymously, or you may choose to have your name and /or organization associated with your response.  All responses will be made publicly available on the IACC website (www.iacc.hhs.gov) following the closing deadline for this notice. After the closing deadline, responses cannot be edited or withdrawn.

Please do not include any personally identifiable or confidential information that you do not wish to make public. 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.

Submitting your Response

All comments must be submitted electronically via the web-based form at:  http://www.acclaroresearch.com/oarc/2010rfi/.  Responses to this RFI are voluntary and will be accepted through July 30, 2010. You will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive individualized feedback on any suggestions.

Inquiries

Specific questions about this RFI should be directed to:
Email: [email protected]