The NIH Autism Coordinating Committee (NIHACC)
What is the NIH/ACC?
In 1995, the NIH Inter-Institute Autism Conference Coordinating Committee, in cooperation with the Autism Society of America and the Autism National Committee held a congressionally mandated conference on the State of the Science in Autism. The goal of the conference, and of the larger Autism Committee, was to identify gaps in the knowledge of autism and directions for future research. The group's conclusions, presented in the State of the Science in Autism: Report to the National Institutes of Health, were published in 1996.
In 1997, at the request of congress, the NIH formed the Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC) to enhance the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH to find a cure for autism. Since then, the NIH/ACC has been instrumental in the research into, understanding of, and advances in autism.
Who is involved in the NIH/ACC?
The following NIH Institutes are members of the NIH/ACC:
In addition, other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, as well as other federal agencies and parents' groups participate in NIH/ACC meetings that focus on specific topics. The directors of the NIMH and NICHD co-chair of the NIH/ACC.
The NIH/ACC is also integrally involved in the broader federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) that is composed of representatives from various component agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the NICHD, as well as other governmental organizations. The IACC is chaired by the director of NIMH.
NICHD-Supported Research
NICHD Autism Research Home
