September 2, 2026: Last week, we shared our deep concern that the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was shutting the community out of important decisions about autism research and services. Our concern is reinforced by the IACC’s vote to approve its Strategic Plan.

We are a broad collection of advocacy, community, and research organizations with a focus on autism, intellectual and developmental disability, or disability at-large. We regularly have disagreements on matters of research and policy priorities. There are elements of this Strategic Plan we like, elements we dislike, and elements we are divided on. Working through these substantive disagreements and weighing public input in a thorough and orderly way is the most constructive course for the future of autism research and services. Reflecting and weighing the diverse viewpoints of our community in this manner is, in fact, one of the IACC’s core duties as a federal advisory body.

Our shared issue with the IACC is the failure to develop and approve the plan in a manner that is   transparent, accessible, scientifically rigorous, and responsive to public input. Several members of the IACC made it clear that the last 4100 pages of public comments, nearly half of all comments, were not delivered until the day before the meeting. Office of National Autism Coordination (ONAC) staff made it clear their analysis of public feedback could only examine recurring themes across the comments because they lack the resources and staff capacity to fully engage with the volume of comments received. Similarly, when concerns about this Strategic Plan were raised, the Chair repeatedly redirected to two decades of past public input rather than the record actually before the Committee. While comments received over time can provide helpful context, this specific draft and the public comments submitted in relation to it were what the Committee was supposed to review.

Approving the plan without careful consideration of input and feedback from autistic individuals, family members, caregivers, doctors, researchers, advocates, and the full range of the autism community undermines the credibility of this important body and the Strategic Plan. 

When a federal member of the IACC raised concerns about the inaccessibility of this process, particularly for individuals with delayed processing, his concerns were largely dismissed, even after he specifically named the committee’s obligation to meet Rehabilitation Act requirements about accessibility under Sections 501 and 504. Suggestions were made to use artificial intelligence (AI) or a program to read the comments aloud, and while we are sure these were made in good faith, these are at most band-aid fixes. Accessibility needs to be integrated from the start to ensure full engagement and participation of people with disabilities. This must be a shared value. Why else do we do what we do?

Inaccessibility, delay in comment delivery, reliance on AI summaries instead of full comment review by several members, and lack of proper notice for federal members to get input from agency decision-makers raise serious questions about whether the IACC has upheld its duty under federal law to engage with public input and avoid discrimination against people with disabilities.

We urge the IACC to take this time after the meeting to properly and fully review the thousands of pages of public comments submitted to the IACC, produce a complete analysis of these comments, and revisit the strategic plan. This is an opportunity for the IACC to rebuild trust across the autism community. The autism community cannot afford to have such an important guiding document be pushed through despite this level of widespread concern. We need a plan developed through consensus. Our community is broad, but we agree that all voices should be heard.

Sincerely,

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Autism Science Foundation 

Autism Society of America 

Autism Speaks

Autistic People of Color Fund

Autistic Self Advocacy Network 

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network 

Coalition of Autism Scientists

CommunicationFIRST

Institute for Exceptional Care

Profound Autism Alliance

The Arc of the United States