through Education Task Force established by the 
Secretary of Education under section 4(a). 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Education shall establish a task force to be known as the 
Empowering Children with Autism through Education 
Task Force. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Task Force is to 
identify and disseminate evidence-based educational strat-
egies and promising best practices to improve the quality 
of learning for individuals with autism in grades K–12, 
including the following: 
(1) Learning models, interventions, and services 
that demonstrate improvements in reading, writing, 
and math proficiency for individuals with autism. 
(2) The cost-effectiveness of these learning 
models, interventions, and services, and their appli-
cability for local education agencies. 
(3) Professional development needs of educators 
who serve individuals with autism. 
(4) Methods for incorporating State-, local- and 
community-based programs and services into the 
classroom to provide comprehensive support for indi-
viduals with autism. 
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(5) Identification of barriers to successful im-
plementation of programs and services related to the 
education of and provision of services to children 
with autism and recommendations to address those 
barriers. 
(6) Dissemination of findings to Congress, all 
relevant agencies, and States and United States ter-
ritories to improve the quality of learning for indi-
viduals with autism. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be com-
posed of not fewer than 20 members who meet quarterly, 
of whom— 
(1) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Education; 
(2) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Education from among persons recommended by the 
National Institutes of Health; 
(3) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Education from among persons recommended by the 
National Council on Disability; 
(4) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Education from among persons recommended by or-
ganizations that advocate for individuals with autism 
and their families; and 
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(5) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
Education from among persons recommended by 
State education agencies to represent school dis-
tricts. 
(b) EXPERTISE.—The Secretary shall ensure that the 
Task Force includes at minimum— 
(1) special education professionals with exper-
tise in autism, general education teachers, and 
teachers with experience developing and imple-
menting classroom learning models for students with 
autism; 
(2) healthcare providers with expertise in treat-
ing children with autism, including at least one 
speech language pathologist; 
(3) individuals with autism, families affected by 
autism, and members of organizations that advocate 
for individuals with autism and their families, whose 
representation on the Task Force shall not be less 
than one-fourth of all members; and 
(4) health or education economists or other in-
dividuals with expertise in cost-benefit analysis and 
health or education policy. 
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) SUBMISSION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 27 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Task 
Force shall submit to Congress, the Secretary of 
Education, and the National Institutes of Health a 
report detailing its findings under section 4(b). 
(2) GUIDANCE TO STATES.—Not later than 27 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Education, in conjunction with the 
heads of relevant agencies, shall disseminate to the 
relevant departments of each State and of United 
States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
the report of the Task Force under paragraph (1) 
with the purpose of providing practical guidance to 
improve the quality of learning for individuals with 
autism in grades K–12. 
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report submitted 
by the Task Force under subsection (a)(1) shall include— 
(1) measures taken to identify evidence-based 
learning models, interventions and services, and 
promising best practices, for improving the quality 
of learning for individuals with autism in grades K– 
12, including steps taken to ensure the participation 
of individuals with autism, their families, and their 
advocates; 
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(2) recommendations of learning models, inter-
ventions, services, and promising best practices most 
applicable, cost-effective, and likely to raise pro-
ficiency in reading, writing, and math for individuals 
with autism in grades K–12; 
(3) assessment of existing professional develop-
ment programs for educators who work with stu-
dents with autism, and recommendations for expand-
ing professional development programs to meet the 
growing need for qualified educators specializing in 
classroom instruction for individuals with autism in 
grades K–12, including— 
(A) institutional limitations; 
(B) considerations of existing continuing 
education or professional development require-
ments; 
(C) considerations of costs to educators as-
sociated with professional development; and 
(D) quantitative analysis of resources 
needed for the establishment of State autism 
plans, provisions for professional development, 
and the integration of community services; and 
(4) overview of the States’ and local school dis-
tricts’ capacity to overcome barriers to successful de-
velopment, enhancement and implementation of pro-
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grams and services for improving the quality of edu-
cation for individuals with autism in grades K–12, 
including— 
(A) school-, district-, and State-wide insti-
tutional limitations; 
(B) categorical comparisons between re-
gions, urban and rural areas, socio-economic 
groups, and ethnic groups; and 
(C) quantitative analysis of resources need-
ed for the establishment of district-wide autism 
plans, the purchase of new learning materials, 
increased performance on State assessments, 
improved graduation rates, and the implementa-
tion of learning models, interventions, services, 
and promising best practices most likely to 
raise proficiency in reading, writing, and math 
for individuals with autism in grades K–12. 
Æ 
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