This statement is also available in plain language here [[link removed]] .

Last Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced 21 new public members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). It is a complete overhaul. No previous members of the committee are reappointed despite many seeking renomination. The new IACC is overwhelmingly made up of anti-vaccine advocates and peddlers of dangerous quack autism “treatments.” At a time when the autistic community desperately needs quality research that could genuinely improve our lives, we fear that this IACC will direct research funding towards known dead ends and influence federal activities away from policies that would best serve the autistic community. In past administrations, the IACC was a diverse decision-making body in which many opinions and groups were represented. ASAN is appalled by the government’s decision to warp it into another part of the HHS disinformation machine.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a government advisory board housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The IACC makes recommendations about what types of autism research the government should fund. It is responsible for monitoring autism research and best practices for services and supports. It also summarizes the latest research on autism that furthers our understanding of autism, informing policymaking and legislation. The IACC is required by law to be made up of representatives of government agencies (federal members) and people who do not work for the government that have expertise about autism (public members). Public members must make up more than one third, but less than one half of total membership. Legally, at least 3 of the IACC’s public members must be autistic, although ASAN has always advocated for that number to be significantly higher. Previous IACC rosters have included autistic people who were also autism researchers, policy experts, and self-advocacy movement leaders, including Hari Srinivasan, Sam Crane, Dr. Jenny Mai Phan, and Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. There are also requirements to have at least 3 parents or legal guardians or autistic people and 3 representatives of leading research, advocacy, and service organizations for autistic people.

We think the new IACC lacks the necessary expertise to fulfill the responsibilities of the IACC and is unrepresentative of the broader community. None of the previous, qualified public members have been reappointed. Instead, they were replaced with individuals handpicked to enact Secretary Kennedy’s agenda, just like the Advisory Council on Immunization Policy (ACIP). Several autism-focused organizations nominated many qualified advocates, both autistic and non-autistic, including policy and academic experts. None were appointed. The rejection of candidates shows a repeated pattern of the administration to disregard expertise and the lived experience of those most impacted.

The views of the new members largely do not reflect the views of most autistic people, their families, advocates, or researchers. There are several new public members who have said they believe vaccines do or could cause autism. Many are known associates of anti-vaxxer and current HHS employee, Mark Blaxill. Several are or were affiliated with Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs, a group funded by the supplements industry that promotes an anti-vaccine agenda under the guise of educating medical professionals about autism and other disabilities. Multiple new members promote or even practice dangerous quack “cures” like chelation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and one, Dr. Daniel Rossignol, has even been sued [[link removed]] for providing fake treatment to autistic patients.

This IACC is illegitimate and does not represent our community. We do not trust it. We think no one should trust it. ASAN will work to hold the government accountable and spread accurate and science-backed information. We will continue to fight for the dignity and respect of all autistic people.


Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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