[Forwarded message. From CDC.]


*CDC wants to listen to what you have to say about autism research*



Dear Community Member;



We, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recognize
the impact of autism on families and caregivers. CDC also recognizes the
importance of research to better understand the causes and early
detection of autism.



As a member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), CDC
helped develop a 10-year autism research agenda. CDC will hold four
meetings (this is the fourth) to receive broader public input on the
portions of the agenda dealing with CDC autism activities. CDC is
summarizing current autism research activities and receiving input at
four listening sessions this fall throughout the country.



The fourth and last CDC autism research agenda listening session is
scheduled for Sunday, November 14, from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at
the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Seaver Center and New York Autism
Center of Excellence in New York, New York.



A flier announcing the meeting is attached. Please share it with your
staff, membership, and other groups or individuals who may be
interested in attending. Please note that CDC's purpose is to provide
time for you to provide us with your feedback and for CDC to listen to
your ideas. For this reason, CDC attendees do not plan to provide
comments or responses at the meeting since we want to use the time to
listen to what you have to say on these important issues.



CDC held the first listening session in the South (Miami, Florida on
August 27, 2004), second in the West (Sacramento, CA on September 28)
and the third meeting in the Mid- West (Indianapolis, IN on October 22,
2004). Preliminary findings from the four listening sessions will be
presented to the IACC later this fall.



Thank you for your help in spreading the word about these sessions and
for your efforts on behalf of children and adults with autism. CDC looks
forward to your ideas and comments on November 14, 2004.



*For those of you who cannot attend the New York meeting, you can still
provide input by using the autismresearch@...
<mailto:autismresearch@...> email address.*

* *

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