Policy Pulse | federal budget, White House updates & TRICARE reform

In this newsletter:

• A call to action for Hispanic Heritage Month 
• White House announcements on autism
• New report on TRICARE and autism
• Bipartisan support for Autism CARES Act funding in federal budget
• Opportunities to work with us and take action today

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A call to action for Hispanic Heritage Month

When Georgina Perez Liz’s son Xavier was diagnosed with autism, she faced cultural stigma and whispered judgments from those around her, leaving her feeling isolated and scrutinized. As an immigrant from Mexico and autism researcher, she shares how she confronted these challenges and advocated for Xavier’s needs. By expanding parent-led programs like the World Health Organization’s Caregiver Skills Training program, she’s bridging cultural gaps and creating support systems tailored to the unique needs of Hispanic and Latino families.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, support Georgina's efforts to expand access to caregiver skills training in the US. Ask Congress to pass the Autism Family Caregivers Act!

Read Georgina' Story.

White House announcements on autism

Tylenol & Leucovorin

Last week, the White House held a press conference during which several statements were made about autism, acetaminophen, vaccines and a drug called leucovorin. In keeping with our commitment to science and clarity, Autism Speaks issued a statement  addressing the claims that were made. It is important to note that studies have not yet proven a causal relationship between Tylenol and autism. Women who are pregnant and families considering new therapies for autism should always consult with their doctor. 

The Autism Data Science Initiative

On September 22, the National Institutes of Health announced that the new $50 million Autism Data Science Initiative has awarded funding to 13 studies to further investigate the causes of autism, with a focus on environmental factors alongside genetics.

Our commitment to you

Autism Speaks will continue to monitor these efforts, share and translate updates, and do our best to ensure autistic people and caregivers have the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. We continue to advocate for federal resources to be dedicated toward advancing new and innovative areas of research, so the community benefits from fresh insights, rather than revisiting questions that have been well studied, including vaccines and autism. It’s critical that all autism research be transparent, peer-reviewed, and designed to improve the lives of autistic people and their families. Read our statement.

New report on TRICARE and autism

A new report was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine providing strong recommendations to make TRICARE coverage more responsive, less burdensome and better aligned with best practices for the autism community.

Autism Speaks has advocated for the military insurance program to cover Applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a basic health care benefit for years. ABA has been added as a covered benefit to almost all other health care plans—except TRICARE which covers it as part of a demonstration program. The release of this report should spur change that is long overdue, and we call on the Defense Health Agency to deliver on the promise of high-quality, evidence-based autism care for the 35,000 military beneficiaries who rely on this program.

Learn more about the report on TRICARE.

Bipartisan support for Autism CARES Act funding in federal budget

The bad news: The federal fiscal year ended at midnight on Tuesday, September 30 without a decision by Congress on how to fund the federal government for the next year, triggering a government shutdown. While mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicaid continue during a shutdown, other programs funded by discretionary spending will be impacted.  As lawmakers work toward a compromise or short-term funding solution, Autism Speaks remains actively engaged to endure the needs of the autism community are prioritized in a final agreement. For help and support during this time, visit our website.

The good news: Thanks to your support, we’ve laid a strong foundation for sustained annual funding of the Autism CARES Act. These programs help train healthcare professionals, address the shortage of developmental behavioral pediatricians, provide data on autism prevalence, and advance research in key areas like aging and autism, how to best support those with unique communication needs or who need 24/7 care, and much more. 

We’re pleased to share that both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees included full funding for Autism CARES Act programs in their Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bills. These bills also included important report language directing the National Institutes of Health to implement new enhancements mandated in the law. In a challenging budget environment, we are encouraged by this demonstrated bipartisan commitment to continuing programs that have fueled meaningful improvements in autism research and services over the past decade. We are committed to ensuring Autism CARES Act priorities are included in Congress’ final budget agreement. Learn more about funding for the Autism CARES Act. 

We're hiring!

Advocacy Coordinator - 12-month, full-time position

If you (or someone you know) are eager to learn, ready to take initiative, and passionate about helping autistic people and allies engage in policymaking, then learn more about this opportunity to join our advocacy team and apply here.

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