Contact Information Corey Seeman, Assistant Dean for Resource and Systems Management. MS# 509, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft, Toledo, OH 43606 419-530-2333; corey.seeman@utoledo.edu

Internet Searches

• Search "Autism" and limit to .gov sites
• Search "Autism" and limit to .us sites (for state education sites)
• Search "Asperger" and limit to .gov sites
• Search "Asperger" and limit to .us sites (for state education sites)

National Institutes of Health 

SITE: Autism Page from National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autismmenu.cfm
DESCRIPTION: Excellent source of information on Autism from the National Institute of Mental Health.  These links used to include the 1997 booklet that was very good, though older, but this does not appear to be available any longer.    This site also includes information from the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and the NIH Autism Listserv.

SITE: Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) information page from National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/autismmenu.cfm
DESCRIPTION: Excellent basic source of information on Autism Spectrum Disorders from the National Institute of Mental Health.  This is a nice overview of the condition, signs & symptoms, treatment options, and local services.  This is a great general resource.

SITE: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/autismiacc/index.cfm
DESCRIPTION: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was mandated by the Children's Health Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-310), Title I, Section 104.  The charge of the committee is to coordinate autism research and other efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the NIH has been designated the lead for this activity.  This page includes links to numerous reports of the activities of the committee and other government agencies.

SITE: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
URL: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/autism/
DESCRIPTION: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Autism page documents the work of this organization that is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  It is one of the primary Institutes conducting research into the various aspects of autism, including its causes, prevalence, and treatments.  While this site has links to a number of interesting reports, the dates of these reports appear primarily through 2001 with only a few extending to 2002.  Still, this is an important resource for information on Autism.  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

SITE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Autism Information Center)
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddautism.htm
DESCRIPTION: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities has a very good resource for Autism.  These pages have a number of resources that are useful including a page describing Autism, updated list of ASD projects at the CDC, list of governmental projects at other federal and state agencies, resources, and a great kids' page (geared to children between 4th and 6th grade) for teaching about ASD.  

SITE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Vaccines and Autism Theory)
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/
DESCRIPTION: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been an active proponent for the safety of the MMR vaccine and has conducted studies to examine the hypothesis that vaccines have a part in the cause of autism in children. While many organizations see this group as supporting the establishment view that there is no connection between the MMR vaccine and autism, they have produced a useful website that includes many links for people examining this potential connection.  This page includes many links to research papers, statistics, and other sources that examine the connection between the two.  

U.S. Department of Education 

SITE: No Child Left Behind - Desktop Reference
URL: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbreference/index.html
DESCRIPTION: Resources associated with the No Child Left Behind Bill that (theoretically) establishes standards and guidelines for public education in the United States.  This law, signed in early 2002, has been considered to provide states with the funding and flexibility to meet the needs of all children with special needs such as autism.  

Other Governmental Groups

SITE: Congressional Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.)
URL: http://www.tash.org/govaffairs/care.htm
DESCRIPTION: Formed by Representatives Mike Doyle (D PA-18th) and Chris Smith (R NJ-4th), this bipartisan caucus was setup to provide greater visibility for individuals with autism and their families. Hosted by TASH, the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps.

State Governments & Reports

Ohio  

For Ohio Government Resources, click here

California

SITE: Principal Findings from the Epidemiology of Autism in California (M.I.N.D. Institute at UC-San Diego)
URL: http://www.dds.ca.gov/autism/pdf/study_final.pdf
DESCRIPTION: This landmark study was commissioned by the California Legislature and submitted on October 17, 2002.  The study was commissioned after the 1999 study from the Department of Developmental Services issued a report titled �Changes in the Population of Persons with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders in California�s Developmental Services System: 1987 through 1998� showed an increase of reported cases of autism of 273% during that timespan. The University of California�s Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute conducted this comprehensive pilot study to examine factors that may be associated with this increase.  This 70 page reports is one of the most important documents examining the increased rate of ASD.

SITE: Autism Main Page from the Department of Developmental Services
URL: http://www.dds.ca.gov/autism/autism_main.cfm
DESCRIPTION: The Autism page for the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) includes valuable resources and reports for people looking at issues of increasing prevalence of autism and services officered by state governments.  California has been one of the most active states in identifying autism and finding solutions for parents and educators in the public school systems.  

Pennsylvania

SITE: Pennsylvania Autism Task Force - Adult Needs Subcommittee Report
URL: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/general/aboutdpw/secretarypublicwelfare/autismtaskforce/003671668.htm
DESCRIPTION: From the Autism Task Force under the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, this report provides "recommendations for the creation of a new system for the provision of services to adults with autism within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." Unique in its approach towards only adults with ASD, this report is very valuable as a resource for people looking at these issues.  The sections of the report are: introductory materials; state of current practice in serving adults with autism; problems with existing practices; potential solutions to improve existing practices; and summary recommendations. For the main Autism Task Force Report, visit http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/General/AboutDPW/SecretaryPublicWelfare/AutismTaskForce/

Search for Congressional Hearings and Documents

SITE: THOMAS database (Legislative Information on the Internet) from the Library of Congress
URL: http://thomas.loc.gov/
DESCRIPTION: A search engine for legislative information on the Internet.  The THOMAS World Wide Web system went online in January 1995, and provides full text reports, hearings, bill text, committee reports and the Congressional Record for the past few years.  The material covered in THOMAS and the date ranges for each of those material types is described on this page: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/abt_thom.html.  This is a great resource for finding out information on Government action on Autism and related disorders.