National Autism Center Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The national autism center at may institute (nac) is dedicated to supporting effective evidence-based information about the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (asd), and to providing direction to families, practitioners, organizations, policymakers, and funders. The center identifies effective programming, shares practical information with families about how to respond to the challenges they face, and develops training and service models for practitioners. Finally, the center works to shape public policy concerning asd and its treatment through the development and dissemination of national standards of practice.nac's first major initiative was the multi-year national standards project. The project's primary goal was to provide critical information about which interventions have been shown to be effective for individuals with asd.phase 1 of the national standards project (released in 2009) examined and quantified the level of research supporting interventions that target the core characteristics of asd in children, adolescents, and young adults (below 22 years of age) on the autism spectrum. The resulting report covered a broad range of applied treatments and identifies the level of scientific evidence available for each. The project included 775 research studies the largest number of studies ever reviewed. For the first time, families were able to find specific information about the age groups, treatment targets, and diagnostic populations to which these treatments have been applied.the findings of the national standards project (phase 1) include the identification of: 11 "established" treatments: treatments that produce beneficial outcomes and are known to be effective for individuals on the autism spectrum. 22 "emerging" treatments: treatments that have some evidence of effectiveness, but not enough to be confident that they are truly effective. 5 "unestablished" treatments: treatments for which there is no sound evidence of effectiveness. Phase 2 of the national standards project (released in 2015) provided an update to the literature for interventions for those under age 22, and also included studies evaluating interventions for adults (22+), which have never before been systematically evaluated.phase 2 reviewed studies published between 2007 and february of 2012. As in the first iteration of the national standards project, the focus was an evaluation of educational and behavioral intervention literature for individuals with asd. The review updated the summary of asd treatment literature for children and youth under age 22. The project updated original findings, added information, and evaluated whether any of the "emerging" interventions in nsp1 had moved into the "established or "unestablished" categories in nsp2.this phase also analyzed intervention outcome studies for individuals ages 22 years and older. Because the first phase of the national standards project focused solely on interventions for individuals under age 22, the recent literature search for individuals ages 22+ spanned several decades. The earliest intervention outcome study for individuals ages 22+ was published in 1987.additional dissemination projects for the national autism center at may institute include:- a parent's guide to autism and evidence-based practice, a comprehensive manual for families with criteria for selecting evidence-based services and programs that have been proven effective and are backed by scientific research. - evidence-based practice and autism in the schools, editions 1 and 2: manuals for public school systems outlining specific evidence-based program components, procedures, and implementation strategies. Individuals from all u.s. States and more than 170 countries have visited the nac website to access information about nsp1 and nsp2.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 91.4%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: No; rating input score 0

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -188.9%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.7; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.23; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 131.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -14.1% per year; rating input score 0; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings