Dr. Boles Interviews the Members of the IACC

There are about 20 “public” (non-government) IACC members. Those members include adults with autism, parents of people with autism, autism advocacy group officers, and physicians well known in the autism community. The number of “federal” members is also about 20, from a wide range of other government agencies. The IACC makes recommendations directly to Secretary Kennedy. Meetings are open and take public comment.

In August, 2026, the IACC approved a comprehensive, 336-page report, to guide federal autism research, services, and policy priorities. The scope of that document is very broad and included, for example, research priorities, comorbid conditions, access to services, profound/nonverbal autism, elopement, and adult employment and housing. The committee reviewed over 5,000 comments from the public (one of them was from me).

However, the job of the committee is not over, not nearly. Current priorities are to track federal autism research, services, and supports to see that the 336-page report is being implemented, and to assist in removing any obstacles therein.

Richard G. Boles, MD: I am a pediatrician and geneticist with an active autism practice, as well as a partner and officer of NeuroNeeds, a company that makes dietary supplements for many conditions, including their frequent use in autism.

In addition to its high toll on individuals and families, autism is one of the most-pressing challenges of our time. One of the roles of the IACC is to provide a public forum. I wish to support this forum, and the committee, as best that I can. If you are a member of the autism committee, whether you are an affected individual, family member, friend, or other caring person, the IACC is YOUR committee, and works for YOU. Let your voice be heard!

The work of the government can seem distant, complicated, and opaque. Thus, in this space, I bring the IACC to you. This space will include a series of interviews between myself and members of the committee. My goal is to interview multiple members, and to provide you with different points of view. Each interview is different, but common topics include what role each member has that got them on the committee, what specific issues are important to them, and what are their hopes and fears for the committee, and for autism, going forward. Hear what YOUR committee is doing!

Everyone has biases, here are mine. As a physician, I have been treating autism for over 30 years. I want the committee to focus on treatments available now and to support the development of new treatments for the near future. Also, I am an integrative medicine provider with an emphasis on nutrition. 

This is NOT what the IACC is about, and in a perfect world, politics should not play a role in autism policy. However, that is not the world we live in. Currently, the law provides for the IACC to continue running through September 30, 2029. However, political changes could sideline the committee’s importance long before that. I would like the autism community to come together, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and anyone else, to say that this is OUR committee, and we demand that it continue, regardless of the party in office or the person heading HHS. As I am intentionally interviewing people with different views, no one will agree with everything said. The committee is not perfect, but let’s make it better and stronger. There is no alternative in sight.

 I try to add issues that you can learn from in each interview. Examples include DNA testing, dietary supplementation, comorbidities (e.g., ADHD, G.I.), and Spellers/nonverbal autism).

In this space, learn from the committee members themselves, each a leader in the autism community, and decide for yourself. If so motivated, spread the word.