Here is a link to an email form that will help you to respond to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. It is the “long form.”
Now would be good.
There’s a link at the top of that page to a “short form” if the long one feels too daunting (I don’t think it is.)
Here’s a reminder of what the IACC wants to hear:
Information Requested
The IACC welcomes your comments on the draft Strategic Plan for ASD Research. The draft plan can be accessed at the following website:http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-funding/scientific-meetings/recurring-meetings/iacc/strategic-plan/2008/iacc-strategic-plan-august-2008.pdf
Please organize your comments by the sections of the draft Strategic Plan:
…
How to Submit a Response
Responses will be accepted until September 30, 2008 via email to iacc@mail.nih.gov. Please limit your response to two pages (approximately 1,000 words) and mark it with the RFI identifier NOT-MH-08-021 in the subject line. You will receive an email confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive individualized feedback on any suggestions. The collected information will be reviewed by the IACC, may appear in reports, and shared publicly on the IACC website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-funding/scientific-meetings/recurring-meetings/iacc/index.shtml.
Where it says, “Please organize your comments by the sections of the draft Strategic Plan…. Well the form (made by Sullivan) is laid out for you in the proper order and gives you the framework for waht you might want to say first, second, third, and so on.
Have you sent your thoughts to the IACC? Why not? Click here for that form I mentioned earlier. They want to know what Y.O.U. think. Seriously. They want to know what you think. If you only have one thought about autism research (too much money has been spent beating a horse that was dead to begin with… the vaccine/autism connection, then say something about that, if you love PECS and want more research about PECS then tell them that, if you want research into whether a certain PR man to the mercury-militia has a conscience … well, that’s not on topic, but you could say that you want more research into how to provide communication devices for autistic people who need them, or more research into the stress-induced diseases of autistic people like irritable bowel syndrome, or more research about the way the peculiarities of autistic people’s vision or hearing, how about research into the use of melatonin for sleep, or research into how to get kids off of certain prescription drugs by reducing stress, or how about how best to take care of the teeth of autistic children…) then share it! Don’t keep it to yourself. Share it! Now would be good. Time is a wasting! Let your voice be heard. They’ve heard more than enough from the likes of Lyndell Redwood and Jim Moody, let them hear what YOU want them to hear. If you have an aunt or grandparent who has some big ideas about what they should be researching for autistic people, then you can forward the URL for the automated form to them http://rolihlahla.com/iacc_longform.html . If you are an autistic adult you could tell them that you would prefer that autism not be eradicated in Suzanne Wright’s lifetime, or tell them you want help in figuring out how to get and keep a job. But they need to answer right now because time is flying.
Left Brain Right Brain 
By the way, there is nothing limiting submissions to U.S. citizens. I don’t know how they will handle submissions from outside the U.S., but given the size of the U.S. effort on autism, everyone is a stakeholder. What the U.S. does on research affects the world.