NIMH Requests Input on Autism Research Priorities · 2007-12-19 17:15

This morning, the National Institute of Mental Health issued the following Request for Information (RFI): Research Priorities for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The deadline for responses is January 4, 2008.

Request for Information (RFI):
Research Priorities for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Notice Number: NOT-MH-08-003

Key Dates


Release Date: December 19, 2007
Response Date: January 4, 2008

Issued by: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Description


The purpose of this time-sensitive RFI is to seek input from ASD stakeholders such as individuals with ASD and their families, autism advocates, scientists, health professionals, therapists, educators, state and local programs for ASD, and the public at large about what they consider to be high-priority research questions.

Background

The Combating Autism Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-416) re-established the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and requires that the IACC develop a strategic plan for ASD research. The IACC includes both Federal and public members who are active in the area of ASD research funding, services, or advocacy. In its inaugural meeting on November 30, 2007, the IACC approved a process for developing the strategic plan that includes multiple opportunities for stakeholder input. This RFI is a first step in receiving broad input at the beginning stages of plan development.

To identify research priorities for possible inclusion in the strategic plan for ASD research, the IACC will convene several scientific workshops in January 2008. The responses received through this RFI will be collated, summarized, and provided to workshop participants. The scientific workshops will be organized around four broad areas of ASD research:

The development of the strategic plan is expected to take approximately six months and will include several additional opportunities for public input.

Information Requested

We are interested in receiving your input and ideas about what are high-priority questions and issues for advancing research on ASD. We ask for your constructive and specific suggestions in the following areas (please refer to the above descriptions for each area).

What topics or issues need to be addressed to advance research on the:

  1. Treatment of ASD?
  2. Diagnosis of ASD?
  3. Risk factors for ASD?
  4. Biology of ASD?
  5. Other areas of ASD research?

Responses

Please send responses to iacc@mail.nih.gov no later than January 4, 2008.

Please limit your response to two pages and mark it with this RFI identifier NOT-MH-08-103 in the subject line. The responses received through this RFI will be collated, summarized, and provided to scientific workshop participants in January 2008. Summarized results will also be made available to the public. Any proprietary information should be so marked. Respondents will receive an email confirmation acknowledging receipt of their response, but will not receive individualized feedback.

Inquiries

Inquiries regarding this notice may be directed to:

Diane Buckley
Office of the Director
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8235, MSC 9669
Bethesda, MD 20892-9669
Telephone: 301-443-1220
FAX: 301-480-4415
Email: buckleyd@mail.nih.gov

Comments


  1. Thanks for bringing this to our attention Kathleen. I very much appreciate, as well, how you’ve broken it all down as this makes it very clear how to proceed.

    — hj    2007-12-20 02:36    #

  2. You’re very welcome. The breakdown is NIMH’s doing; I’ve simply reproduced their full announcement in order to publicize it more widely. Vox populi, anyone?

    — Kathleen Seidel    2007-12-20 06:32    #

  3. Thanks Kathleen and a Merry Christmas to you and yours. I have quite a few words on this and plan to send something along the lines of what I’m chronically mulling over en ce moment. Like that really dreadful article put out in the name of the American Paediatrics organisation. The shocking state of research in autism was much in evidence and any that was any good wasn’t mentioned at all.

    — Alyric    2007-12-20 09:10    #

  4. Excellent! The more voices, the better. Which reminds me to point out that one does not need to be a U.S. citizen to respond to the RFI. NIMH will take suggestions from anyone.

    — Kathleen Seidel    2007-12-20 10:03    #

  5. Hi Kathleen
    Sorry by asking again; then NIMH will take suggestions from foreign commenters?
    I did not see this in the text.
    Thank you

    — María Luján Ferreira    2007-12-21 10:44    #

  6. Yes, it is my understanding that they will take suggestions from foreign commenters.

    — Kathleen Seidel    2007-12-21 18:57    #

  7. Sent my response today.

    Joe

    — Club 166    2008-01-03 17:38    #

  8. I am an R.N. who has worked with children for 30 years. I have alwys been against diet beverages. About 20 years ago, I really started to notice an increase in the diagnosis of children having autism. I wondered at that time, if anyone had ever done a study as to the onset of diet sodas and other products with artificial sweetners, to the increase in autistic cases. In the 1970’s 75% of diet soda drinkers were women. Who knows what the developing fetal brain would absorb through the blood of the mother, I think this is an important study, and makes more sense to me than innoculations, which Thimersol has been removed, and there is still no decrease in new cases of autismn. Please contact me, I want to know what you think. I know that some parents think that an all natural diet helps AFTER the fact, but what about during the pregnancy? There has to be something that women are doing or coming in contact with that is creating this. Thankyou

    — Amy    2008-04-02 19:20    #