IACC Meeting Today: Autism is a Severe Disability and We'd Best Acknowledge That

Listen to today's IACC meeting. Topics include Somali autism population, costs of autism and more. We need to make sure autism is seen as the severe disability it is for so many Americans and their families and not gloss over the challenges. Read about this 23 year old who doesn't speak at all  sitting in a Mass mental facility awaiting a competency trial after having beaten his mother. THIS is autism. We need to sound the alarm that autism is far more than a mere "difference." Our voices matter too.

IACC meeting details HERE.

  3:15 Update: Report on Somali Community Autism Issue

Coleen Boyle, Ph.D.
Acting Director, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and IACC Member

Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D.
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and IACC Member

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks and IACC Member   3:30 Update: IACC Subcommittee on Safety

Lyn Redwood, R.N., M.S.N.
Co-Founder and Vice President, Coalition for Safe Minds and Co-chair, Safety Subcommittee

Alison Singer, M.B.A.
President, Autism Science Foundation and Co-chair, Safety Subcommittee   4:00 Update: IACC Services Subcommittee

Ellen W. Blackwell, M.S.W.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Co-chair, Services Subcommittee

Lee Grossman
President and CEO, Autism Society and Co-chair, Services Subcommittee   4:30 Public Comments Discussion Period   5:00 Adjournment