SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Training and Research for Autism Improvements Na-
tionwide Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVES ON AUTISM SPEC-
TRUM DISORDERS. 
Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance 
and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15001 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle F—National Training Ini-
tiative on Autism Spectrum Dis-
orders 
‘‘SEC. 171. NATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVE. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Interagency Autism Coordi-
nating Committee, shall award multiyear grants 
to eligible entities to provide individuals (includ-
ing parents and health, allied health, vocational, 
and educational professionals) with interdiscipli-
nary training, continuing education, technical 
assistance, and information for the purpose of 
improving services rendered to children and 
adults with autism, and their families, to ad-
dress unmet needs related to autism. 
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‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—To be eligible to 
receive a grant under this subsection, an entity 
shall be— 
‘‘(i) a University Center for Excel-
lence in Developmental Disabilities Edu-
cation, Research, and Service; or 
‘‘(ii) a comparable interdisciplinary 
education, research, and service entity. 
‘‘(C) APPLICATION
REQUIREMENTS.—An 
entity that desires to receive a grant for a pro-
gram under this paragraph shall submit to the 
Secretary an application— 
‘‘(i) demonstrating that the entity has 
capacity to— 
‘‘(I) provide training and tech-
nical assistance in evidence-based 
practices to evaluate, and provide ef-
fective interventions, services, treat-
ments, and supports to, children and 
adults with autism and their families; 
‘‘(II) include individuals with au-
tism and their families as part of the 
program to ensure that an individual- 
and family-centered approach is used; 
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‘‘(III) share and disseminate ma-
terials and practices that are devel-
oped for, and evaluated to be effective 
in, the provision of training and tech-
nical assistance; and 
‘‘(IV) provide training, technical 
assistance, 
interventions, 
services, 
treatments, and supports under this 
subsection statewide; 
‘‘(ii) providing assurances that the en-
tity will— 
‘‘(I) provide trainees under this 
subsection with an appropriate bal-
ance of interdisciplinary academic and 
community-based experiences; and 
‘‘(II) provide to the Secretary, in 
the manner prescribed by the Sec-
retary, data regarding the number of 
individuals who have benefitted from, 
and outcomes of, the provision of 
training 
and 
technical 
assistance 
under this subsection; 
‘‘(iii) providing assurances that train-
ing, technical assistance, dissemination of 
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information, and services under this sub-
section will be— 
‘‘(I) consistent with the goals of 
this Act, the Americans with Disabil-
ities Act of 1990, the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, and the 
Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965; and 
‘‘(II) conducted in coordination 
with relevant State agencies, institu-
tions of higher education, and service 
providers; and 
‘‘(iv) containing such other informa-
tion and assurances as the Secretary may 
require. 
‘‘(D) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant received 
under this subsection shall be used to provide 
individuals (including parents and health, allied 
health, vocational, and educational profes-
sionals) with interdisciplinary training, con-
tinuing education, technical assistance, and in-
formation for the purpose of improving services 
rendered to children and adults with autism, 
and their families, to address unmet needs re-
lated to autism. Such training, education, as-
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sistance, and information shall include each of 
the following: 
‘‘(i) Training health, allied health, vo-
cational, and educational professionals to 
identify, evaluate the needs of, and develop 
interventions, services, treatments, and 
supports for, children and adults with au-
tism. 
‘‘(ii) Developing model services and 
supports that demonstrate evidence-based 
practices. 
‘‘(iii) Developing systems and prod-
ucts that allow for the interventions, serv-
ices, treatments, and supports to be evalu-
ated for fidelity of implementation. 
‘‘(iv) Working to expand the avail-
ability of evidence-based, lifelong interven-
tions; educational, employment, and transi-
tion services; and community supports. 
‘‘(v) Providing statewide technical as-
sistance in collaboration with relevant 
State agencies, institutions of higher edu-
cation, autism advocacy groups, and com-
munity-based service providers. 
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‘‘(vi) Working to develop comprehen-
sive systems of supports and services for 
individuals with autism and their families, 
including seamless transitions between 
education and health systems across the 
lifespan. 
‘‘(vii) Promoting training, technical 
assistance, dissemination of information, 
supports, and services. 
‘‘(viii) Developing mechanisms to pro-
vide training and technical assistance, in-
cluding for-credit courses, intensive sum-
mer institutes, continuing education pro-
grams, distance based programs, and Web- 
based information dissemination strategies. 
‘‘(ix) Promoting activities that sup-
port community-based family and indi-
vidual services and enable individuals with 
autism and related developmental disabil-
ities to fully participate in society and 
achieve good quality-of-life outcomes. 
‘‘(x) Collecting data on the outcomes 
of training and technical assistance pro-
grams to meet statewide needs for the ex-
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pansion of services to children and adults 
with autism. 
‘‘(E) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—The amount 
of a grant to any entity for a fiscal year under 
this section shall be not less than $250,000. 
‘‘(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
shall reserve 2 percent of the amount appropriated 
to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year to make 
a grant to a national organization with dem-
onstrated capacity for providing training and tech-
nical assistance to— 
‘‘(A) assist in national dissemination of 
specific information, including evidence-based 
best practices, from interdisciplinary training 
programs, and when appropriate, other entities 
whose findings would inform the work per-
formed by entities awarded grants; 
‘‘(B) compile and disseminate strategies 
and materials that prove to be effective in the 
provision of training and technical assistance so 
that the entire network can benefit from the 
models, materials, and practices developed in 
individual centers; 
‘‘(C) assist in the coordination of activities 
of grantees under this subsection; 
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‘‘(D) develop a Web portal that will pro-
vide linkages to each of the individual training 
initiatives and provide access to training mod-
ules, promising training, and technical assist-
ance practices and other materials developed by 
grantees; 
‘‘(E) serve as a research-based resource for 
Federal and State policymakers on information 
concerning the provision of training and tech-
nical assistance for the assessment, and provi-
sion of supports and services for, children and 
adults with autism; 
‘‘(F) convene experts from multiple inter-
disciplinary training programs, individuals with 
autism, and the families of such individuals to 
discuss and make recommendations with regard 
to training issues related to assessment, inter-
ventions, services, treatment, and supports for 
children and adults with autism; and 
‘‘(G) undertake any other functions that 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
To carry out this subsection, there are authorized to 
be appropriated $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 
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and such sums as may be necessary for each of fis-
cal years 2012 through 2015. 
‘‘(b) EXPANSION OF THE NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY 
CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENTAL DIS-
ABILITIES EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE.— 
‘‘(1) GRANTS.—To provide for the establish-
ment of up to 4 new University Centers for Excel-
lence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Re-
search, and Service, the Secretary shall award up to 
4 grants to institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
PROVISIONS.—Except for 
subsection (a)(3), the provisions of subsection (a) 
shall apply with respect to grants under this sub-
section to the same extent and in the same manner 
as such provisions apply with respect to grants 
under subsection (a). 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to appli-
cants that— 
‘‘(A) are minority institutions that have 
demonstrated capacity to meet the requirements 
of this section and provide services to individ-
uals with autism and their families; or 
‘‘(B) are located in a State with one or 
more underserved populations. 
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‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
To carry out this subsection, there is authorized to 
be appropriated $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2011 through 2015. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘autism’ means an autism spec-
trum disorder or a related developmental disability. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘interventions’ means edu-
cational methods and positive behavioral support 
strategies designed to improve or ameliorate symp-
toms associated with autism. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘minority institution’ has the 
meaning given to such term in section 365 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘services’ means services to as-
sist individuals with autism to live more independ-
ently in their communities. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘treatments’ means health serv-
ices, including mental health services, designed to 
improve or ameliorate symptoms associated with au-
tism. 
‘‘(6) The term ‘University Center for Excellence 
in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, 
and Service’ means a University Center for Excel-
lence in Development Disabilities Education, Re-
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search, and Service that has been or is funded 
through subtitle D or subsection (b).’’. 
Æ 
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