The Autism CARES Act provides support for NIH-funded research, encompassing investigations into the developmental processes of autism biology, studies on the molecular and neurological foundations of ASD, gene function, and exploration of potential environmental risk factors and biomarkers for ASD, including gene-environment interactions. As the world's largest biomedical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hosts the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC), which aids the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) by disseminating information about ASD/Developmental Disability (DD) research endeavors to Congress, government agencies, and the public. Across the nation, the NIH Autism Centers for Excellence engage in research on potential treatments and interventions, sharing their findings with the National Database for Autism Research to enhance research efficiency and accessibility. The NIH's "Summary of Advances in Research for 2017" highlights breakthroughs in understanding potential biomarkers predicting ASD risk, developmental trajectories of children with ASD, and the impact of various prenatal exposures on ASD risk. This research delves into treatments and interventions for ASD and co-occurring conditions, the effects of policy changes on ASD healthcare spending, patterns of injury mortality, and prevalence variations among demographic groups. The Autism CARES Act has played a pivotal role in establishing crucial infrastructure at the CDC to advance our comprehension of autism. By supporting the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, funded programs estimate the number of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities across different U.S. regions. The CDC has also instituted regional Centers of Excellence for ASD and other developmental disabilities, forming the Centers for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) Network. These centers work to identify factors that may increase children's risk for ASD and other developmental disabilities.