The Autism CARES Act of 2024 has just passed. What will happen with $2-billion?

Compared to the past 10 years, research will now prioritize aging and the needs of Autistic adults, moving beyond childhood-focused studies.

This year’s budget primarily differs from previous legislation by significantly increasing funding for autism research to include co-morbidities (conditions that often occur alongside autism).

Rather than funding disparity issues, the act requires more research to be conducted to review access to care. Last but not least, the act specifically steps up to increase the number of developmental-behavioral pediatricians.

Of specific interest is the funding of “technical assistance” to improve access to communication tools. An annual report must include any advancements in the development or evaluation of such evidence-based services, tools, and technologies.

Now is the time to advocate for human “communication partners” for Autistic people who do not initiate communication independently. The NIH will expand autism research by finding evidence-based communication tools. What does this mean for spellers?

Speaking of billions, NASA’s investments in space exploration benefitted every state in the country, and its Moon to Mars initiative has generated nearly $2.9 billion in tax revenue. Let’s just fly me to Mars, my home.

AI image rendered from this prompt: Elon Musk is the pilot in a space shuttle filled with 5 happy children. They are landing on Mars and all cheering happily.

Read the legalese here:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7213/text