The letter urges Congress to fund strategic objectives laid out in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan. The letter urges Congress to support funding within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The letter also asks for a modest increase for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) to continue to support the 60 LEND network programs in 44 states that are making significant strides toward improved screening, diagnosis, and care for individuals with ASD. This program also trains healthcare professionals to appropriately care for individuals with Autism and other developmental disabilities.

Please thank your Representative for signing on to this funding request.