Autism CARES Act

President Obama with Suzanne & Bob Wright and state representative signing the Autism CARES Act

The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act (Autism CARES Act) is the primary source of federal funding for autism research, services, training, and monitoring. 

Over the past two decades, over $5.2 billion has been dedicated for autism at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) because of the Autism CARES Act.

Originally passed in 2006, the Autism CARES Act has been the primary driver of progress in our understanding of autism as well as the development and dissemination of support for autistic people across the spectrum and lifespan. 

Autism Speaks has worked tirelessly with Congress to renew and expand this legislation's transformative work with each iteration of the law. The current version - the Autism CARES Act of 2024 - was signed into law on December 23, 2024. 

Learn more about the Autism CARES Act of 2024.

Because of Autism CARES, scientific developments have

  • Set a reliable diagnosis age of 18-24 months
  • Established that timely interventions make a lifetime of difference
  • Identified co-morbidities
  • Increased understanding of biological causes of autism
  • Identified genes and possible medication targets
  • Developed early-career autism researchers

Autism CARES requires and supports:

  • Autism prevalence monitoring
  • Training of medical professionals to detect and diagnose autism
  • Development of treatments for medical conditions associated with autism
  • The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and its annual strategic plan
  • Centers of Excellence in autism surveillance and epidemiology
  • Countless programs and research grants to benefit individuals with autism 

The Autism CARES Act of 2014 also required a report to Congress on the current state of adult services.  The 2017 Report to Congress: “Young Adults and Transitioning Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder” addressed the where gaps exist and how to address those needs. 

We continue to work with Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and other congressional champions on annual funding for this bipartisan legislation.