Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 26, 2023 / Notices 88931 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Request for Public Comments on CoOccurring Conditions in Autism 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Request for Information. 

SUMMARY: On behalf of the Interagency 

Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), 

the National Institute of Mental Health 

(NIMH) Office of National Autism 

Coordination (ONAC) is seeking public 

comments to assist the IACC in 

identifying priorities related to physical 

and mental health conditions, and other 

related conditions that commonly cooccur with autism. The IACC is 

requesting public comments on the 

impact of these co-occurring conditions, 

as well as research, services, and policy 

needs that may be helpful to consider in 

addressing issues related to these 

conditions. 

DATES: Responses to this notice are 

voluntary and the public comment 

period will be open from January 3, 

2024, through February 14, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: All comments must be 

submitted electronically via the webbased form at: https://iacc.hhs.gov/ 

meetings/public-comments/requests-forinformation/2023/co-occurringconditions.shtml. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Specific questions about this Request for 

Public Comment should be directed to: 

Ana Cappuccio by phone at 301–402– 

4837 or email at iaccpublicinquiries@

mail.nih.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IACC 

http://www.iacc.hhs.gov/ is a federal 

advisory committee composed of federal 

and public members that provides 

advice to the Secretary of Health and 

Human Services on autism spectrum 

disorder. The Committee is authorized 

under the Autism CARES Act of 2019, 

Public Law 116–60. The 2021–2023 

IACC Strategic Plan for Autism 

Research, Services, and Policy at 

https://iacc.hhs.gov/publications/ 

strategic-plan/2023/ provides an 

overview of priorities identified by the 

IACC to improve health and well-being 

for autistic individuals and their 

families. 

The Committee seeks public comment 

on the following questions related to the 

impact of co-occurring physical and 

mental health conditions: 

1. What are the most significant 

challenges caused by co-occurring 

physical health conditions in autistic 

people? (Examples of co-occurring 

physical health conditions: 

gastrointestinal disorders, sleep 

disturbances, epilepsy, sensory and 

motor challenges) 

2. What are the most significant 

challenges caused by co-occurring 

mental health conditions in autistic 

people? (Examples of mental health cooccurring conditions: depression, 

anxiety, aggressive or self-injurious 

behavior, suicidality) 

3. What are the most significant 

challenges caused by other conditions 

that co-occur with autism, such as 

learning disabilities, developmental 

disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and 

communication disabilities? 

4. What additional research is needed 

to help address co-occurring conditions 

for autistic people? 

5. What could be improved in autism 

services and supports to help address 

co-occurring conditions for autistic 

people? (Examples: Equitable access to 

and accessibility of services, insurance 

coverage, service systems issues, 

patient-provider interactions) 

6. What lasting impact has COVID–19 

infection and illness had on cooccurring physical and/or mental health 

conditions for autistic people? 

7. What lasting positive or negative 

impacts have societal changes due to the 

COVID–19 pandemic had on physical or 

mental health for autistic people? 

(Examples of societal changes: 

disruptions in services, increased 

remote work and school, increased use 

of telehealth, reduced in-person social 

interactions and obligations) 

Feedback provided in this RFI may be 

used by the IACC to inform future 

activities and reports. 

Submission Information: For each 

topic/question in the Request for Public 

Comment, commenters may provide 

input on what they consider to be the 

most important research, services, and 

policy issues and remaining gaps in the 

subject area covered by that question. 

Please note that the web form will 

accept a maximum of 1,500 characters 

(including letters, numbers, 

punctuation, etc.) per topic area. A valid 

email address is required for 

submission, and only one submission 

per email address will be accepted. If 

duplicate submissions are received (i.e., 

form letters), only one example of such 

a submission will be included in the 

final set of comments. 

The information that commenters 

provide will become part of the public 

record; as such, please do not include 

any personally identifiable or 

confidential information in the 

comments. The web form will provide 

the option of submitting responses 

anonymously, or the choice to include 

a name and/or organization associated 

with the comment. 

Comments are subject to redaction in 

accordance with federal policies and the 

IACC’s public comment guidelines and 

privacy policy. To view the IACC’s 

public comment guidelines and privacy 

policy, visit: https://iacc.hhs.gov/ 

meetings/public-comments/guidelines/. 

All comments or summaries of 

comments received will be made 

publicly available on the IACC website 

www.iacc.hhs.gov within 90 days of the 

closing deadline for this notice. Email 

addresses associated with comments 

will not be included as part of the 

public disclosure. After the closing 

deadline, responses cannot be edited or 

withdrawn. No basis for claims against 

the U.S. Government shall arise as a 

result of a response to this request for 

information or from the Government’s 

use of such information. 

Instructions: All comments must be 

submitted through the web form at 

https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/publiccomments/requests-for-information/ 

2023/co-occurring-conditions.shtml. 

Individuals submitting comments will 

receive an onscreen confirmation 

acknowledging receipt of the comment, 

but commenters will not receive 

individualized responses or feedback 

from the IACC or ONAC except in the 

cases of requests for technical assistance 

with the web form, etc. Only one 

comment per email address will be 

accepted, and if duplicate comments are 

received, only one example will be 

provided to the IACC. 

Dated: December 20, 2023. 

Susan A. Daniels, 

Director, Office of National Autism 

Coordination, National Institute of Mental 

Health. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28425 Filed 12–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Advisory Child Health and 

Human Development Council Task 

Force on Research Specific to 

Pregnant Women and Lactating 

Women (PRGLAC) Implementation 

Working Group Meeting 

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver 

National Institute of Child Health and 

Human Development (NICHD) PRGLAC 


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