Please enjoy OARC’s quarterly newsletter, which includes updates on Autism Awareness Month, coronavirus resources, recent events, news, and reports.

President Donald Trump pays tribute to the millions of Americans living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and highlights federal programs and public-private partnerships that are enhancing the lives of people with ASD.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres highlights the rights of individuals with autism, and the importance of not infringing upon those rights during a health crisis.

In his new message for Autism Awareness Month, Dr. Joshua Gordon, NIMH Director and IACC Chair, discusses how individuals with autism are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and resources available to help the community during this time.

The Office of Autism Research Coordination has developed a new coronavirus (COVID-19) resources page to provide the latest updates from federal agencies, including information relevant to the autism community.

The ACL provides guidance for older adults and people with disabilities, such as information on increased risk, how to prevent illness, and resources from partner agencies.

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins discusses the stress, anxiety, and grief people may be experiencing due to COVID-19 with Dr. Joshua Gordon, who explains how to cope and the importance of seeking help.

The IACC call for nominations has closed and the member selection process is underway. Once new members are appointed by the HHS Secretary, the new committee will be publicly announced and will resume meetings. In the interim, OARC will continue to publish IACC reports, host virtual events such as the recent webinar series on transition, and provide updates via the IACC website, e-mail, and Twitter.

In the final webinar of the Transition Aged Youth on the Autism Spectrum series, Dr. Scott Robertson provides information about supports and resources to improve access to competitive, integrated employment for youth and young adults on the autism spectrum and enhance their career pathways.

One in 54 8-year-old children have been identified with autism, according to a CDC analysis of 2016 data from 11 communities across the US. For the first time, no difference was found in prevalence rates between black and white children, indicating gaps in access to screening and diagnosis may be improving. Data from a separate CDC study on 4-year old children show more children are receiving developmental screening by age 3.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently released Fast Facts: Children Identified with Autism, which highlights geographical differences and trends in rates of children with ASD being served by IDEA, depiction of classroom environments, and graduation outcomes for students with ASD.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy has selected 12 states and the District of Columbia to participate in its Visionary Opportunities to Increase Competitive Integrated Employment (VOICE) initiative. The chosen participants will receive support to develop policy to increase employment opportunities for people with mental health disabilities.