November 8, 2021, Rockville, MD — On November 2, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already authorized the two-shot regimen, in which each vaccine dose is one-third of that used for adolescents and adults. The vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in this age group.  This is great news for the 28 million children ages 5-11 who are ready to get back to the many activities they have missed or curtailed in order to stay safe ..read more

Rockville, MD, October 29, 2021 — The Autism Society of America is encouraged by the current news of a possible agreement on the Build Back Better reconciliation package. “The Build Back Better bill contains historic investments into education, employment, housing, nutrition and home and community-based services that will provide tremendous support to individuals and families we serve,” stated Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America. The Autism Society of America understands that the negotiations may include some small but much needed reforms to the Supplemental S ..read more

Rockville, MD, August 10, 2021 — The Autism Society of America applauds the Senate passage today of a bipartisan infrastructure bill (S. 3684) on a 69-30 vote.  “We hope that Congress can build off of this major bipartisan victory and pass the bill in the House, then work together to pass a desperately needed budget reconciliation bill to build the infrastructure for caring for people with autism and other disabilities,” stated Christopher Banks, President, and CEO of the Autism Society of America. The bill passed in the Senate today will modernize our transportation system and make it mo ..read more

Rockville, MD, July 27, 2021 — We are saddened to hear about the passing of Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming. As an original champion of the 2006 Combating Autism Act, renamed the Autism CARES Act, he was an important champion for people with autism. The original law called for $1 billion to expand federal research as well as increase services, diagnosis and treatment and enhance awareness efforts. The money increased autism research spending by almost 50 percent. Senator Enzi went on to support two subsequent reauthorizations that were not certain to pass. His staff diligently sought input from t ..read more

Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America, testified before the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) at its first official meeting this year on July 22. The IACC is a Federal advisory committee, authorized under the Autism CARES Act, coordinates efforts and provides advice to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on research and policies related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through its inclusion of both Federal and public members, the IACC helps to ensure that a wide range of ideas and perspectives are represented.  During the public ..read more

The Autism Society of America is extremely disappointed with the reversal of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation that would have banned the use of the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) in behavior modification.  After careful review, in March of 2020, the FDA determined that these devices present an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury that cannot be corrected or eliminated by labeling. The Autism Society applauded the final rule at that time. However, in a 2-1 opinion last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that the ban was a reg ..read more

Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities Are Not Linked to Violence or Likelihood to Commit Crimes May 20, 2021 — As leaders of intellectual and developmental disabilities organizations, we find recent statements made by Albert Watkins regarding our communities as reprehensible, inexcusable and deeply offensive.  Albert Watkins, an attorney representing Jacob Chansley, one of the rioters of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, recently suggested that Mr. Chansley has Asperger’s syndrome, which is an older term that is no longer used as it’s part of the diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder ..read more

Autism Society of America on the Introduction of the Bipartisan Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act   April 6, 2021 — The Autism Society of America appreciates the efforts of Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA) to re-introducing the bipartisan Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act in the House of Representatives today.  This bill phases out the use of subminimum wage certificates for people with disabilities, which many people see as outdated and unfair. The bill also authorizes funds to help states transform their ..read more

After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many unanswered questions about how our states failed to protect individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities living at home, in group homes and in other congregate settings. The Autism Society believes that any investigation into the circumstances that led to these deaths should focus on the underfunding prioritization from state and federal officials, and also identifies opportunities for better preparation to avoid future loss of lives. “As early as March 13, 2020, the Autism Society of America raised its concerns that t ..read more

** 12/24/20 Update: Since this statement was published, the FDA has ruled to approve the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization. This fact was updated with a resource link in the statement below. * 12/14/20 Update: Since this statement was published, the FDA has ruled to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization. This fact was updated with a resource link in the statement below. December 10, 2020, Rockville, MD – The Autism Society of America applauds the global scientific and medical community for developing 95% effective COVID-19 vaccines ..read more