Autism Research Leaders Announce Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC)
New York, NY — [March 3, 2026] — Autism research and advocacy leaders today announced the formation of the Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC). The new group will coordinate work among non-governmental autism research funders and will fulfill the Autism CARES Act objective of developing a coordinated scientific agenda for the autism community.
The new Independent Autism Coordinating Committee includes former IACC chairs, NIH institute directors, former IACC members, leading autism scientists, and research advocates.
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee will hold its first meeting on March 19, 2026, at the National Press Club in Washington DC at 10:00 am. The meeting will be livestreamed. There will be a period for public comment, both in person and via Zoom. More information will be available on the I-ACC website, I-ACCautism.org.
In 2006, Congress passed the Combating Autism Act (later renamed the Autism CARES Act), which created an Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) composed of federal officials and public members. The law requires the IACC to develop an annual strategic plan for autism research and submit an annual summary of scientific advances to Congress. For the past 20 years, the IACC has fulfilled this role.
Recently announced changes to the IACC make this a pivotal moment for the autism community to strengthen coordination among non-governmental groups and individuals with scientific expertise, motivating the creation of a new independent consortium to promote alignment and sustain continued progress. Earlier this year, HHS Secretary Kennedy announced 21 new public IACC members, many of whom propound the false narrative that childhood vaccines cause autism. Several of the new members have promoted non-evidence-based, often dangerous “treatments” for autism. None, including the chair, has ever served on the IACC.
“Scientific expertise and institutional memory are critical to developing a coordinated autism research plan,” said Dr. Helen Tager Flusberg, member of the new I-ACC, founder of the Coalition of Autism Scientists, and a former IACC member. “When those elements are missing, the committee cannot function as intended. The new I-ACC restores the rigor and coordination needed to accurately assess progress and ensure that evidence-based progress continues to be made.”
The new Independent Autism Coordinating Committee will bring together accomplished scientific experts and stakeholders with research expertise, with the goal of accelerating scientific discovery, improving care, and positively impacting the lives of people with autism. It will create a strategic plan for autism research that reflects the rapid progress and growing promise of autism science, and will report annually on the key advances in autism research across the translational continuum, including basic research on genes and cells, environmental causes, early detection, therapeutics, and services.
The I-ACC will maintain an independent agenda and will also follow the meeting schedule of the federally-appointed IACC so that it can respond quickly to any recommendations that are not supported by science. The group will serve as a credible source for anyone trying to understand the science of autism.
The Autism Science Foundation will serve as the administrative secretariat for the I-ACC.
“The newly constituted Kennedy-appointed IACC represents a complete and unprecedented overhaul, with no continuity from prior committees and a striking absence of scientific expertise,” said Alison Singer, Member of the new I-ACC, president of the Autism Science Foundation, and former IACC member. “It disproportionately represents a tiny subset of families who believe vaccines cause autism, while excluding the overwhelming majority of advocates and experienced autism researchers who support evidence-based science. The new I-ACC will ensure science, not misinformation, guides autism research.”
I-ACC Members (committee in formation)
Dr. Zack Williams, UCLA, Autistic Scientist/Self Advocate
Dr. Joshua Gordon, former Director, National Institute of Mental Health; IACC Chair (2016–2024)
Jim Greenwood, former U.S. Congressman (R), sponsor of the Children’s Health Act of 2000, which created the IACC
Dr. Tom Insel, former Director, National Institute of Mental Health; IACC Chair (2002–2015)
Joseph Joyce, President and CEO, Autism Society of America
Dr. Amy Lutz, University of Pennsylvania; Autism Parent
Dr. David Mandell, University of Pennsylvania; former IACC member
Alison Singer, President, Autism Science Foundation; former IACC member
Dr. Kristin Sohl, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Dr. Matthew State, UCSF, Scientific Director, Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA)
Dr. Helen Tager-Flusberg, Boston University, Coalition of Autism Scientists; former IACC member
Dr. John Walkup, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
Contact: ContactUs@I-ACCautism.org.
Media contacts:
C.J. Volpe
Director of Communications
Autism Science Foundation
cvolpe@autismsciencefoundation.org
Jessica Daitch
Coalition of Autism Scientists
JLD Communications, LLC
jessica@jldcommunications.com