Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC is located in Atlanta, GA. Like
the NIH, it is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The
CDC is primarily concerned with issues of autism epidemiology, such as
prevalence, risk factors, and secondary conditions (comorbid disorders
that occur in conjunction with autism). Research initiatives within the
CDC fall under the auspices of the National
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). The
following is taken from their website:
“The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seeks to promote
optimal fetal, infant, and child development; prevent birth defects
and childhood developmental disabilities; and enhance the quality of life
and prevent secondary conditions among children, adolescents,
and adults who are living with a disability.”
The NCBDDD also recently
established the Learn the Signs: Act Early campaign (Feb. 22,
2005), which is a collaborative effort between the CDC and seven
other national organizations that focus on the study of autism.
The NCBDDD has three autism-related
programs/studies currently underway at the center; the CDC also
sponsors various state projects and issues publications relating to various
aspects of autism. One of these programs includes the establishment of
what now includes five “centers
of excellence” in epidemiology research (not unlike many of the
NIH’s programs). These include programs in California, Colorado,
Maryland/Delaware (Johns Hopkins), North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
In addition, the CDC is funding another program at Marshall University
in West Virginia. For
more information on the CDC’s autism research, visit their website.
The abovementioned “centers for excellence” were another product of the Child’s Health Care Act of 2000, which mandated that the CDC create several such centers dedicated to the study of autism and other developmental disabilities. These programs became known as Centers of Excellence for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE). In addition to performing research, CADDRE programs endeavor to increase knowledge and awareness of autism and other disabilities among service providers and community members. Some of these state centers work in conjunction with members of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) program, which consists of branches at the state level specializing in the surveillance of and sometimes research on individuals with autism. Collectively known as the ADDM/CADDRE Network, these two organizations are responsible for maintaining a grasp on the prevalence of autism in communities throughout the United States. Furthermore, the Network hopes to ultimately provide the CDC with a comparative assessment of the proportions of autism among the populations in these various communities. Both the “centers of excellence” and the ADDM programs are also listed in the Research Community Directory.
The CDC’s Web-based Autism Information Center was launched in September 2002. The CDC announcement to the autism community stated the following: “The information center focuses on the activities of federal and federally funded programs and the resources offered by these programs. The information center includes information about autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); CDC and other federal activities; state activities funded by CDC; education, services, and research resources; and activities to help children use the Internet to learn more about ASDs”.
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