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What happens when a mother who spent years fighting for answers for her own child gets a seat at the table where America’s autism priorities are being set?
This week on VSRF Live, we welcome Tracy Slepcevic, founder of Autism Health and the annual Autism Health Summit, author of Warrior Mom: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Her Son with Autism, and a member of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).
Tracy’s journey began with her son, Noah, who experienced profound developmental regression as a toddler. Refusing to accept that nothing could be done, she spent years searching for answers, investigating underlying medical issues, and pursuing interventions that she says helped her son recover significant function. That experience transformed her into a fierce advocate for children with autism and families seeking answers about causes, treatments, and recovery.
Today, Tracy is bringing that perspective directly into the federal autism conversation.
Last month, she participated in a pivotal IACC meeting as the committee debated and approved its 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, setting priorities for federal autism research, health care, services, and supports. The meeting exposed sharp disagreements over some of the most consequential questions facing the autism community—and over what the federal government should be doing to answer them.
Tracy joins us to take us inside that meeting: What were the biggest battles? Why did so many federal representatives abstain from the final vote? What changed in the new Strategic Plan? And will its priorities translate into meaningful research and better care for children and families?
We’ll also discuss the questions Tracy has spent years fighting to bring into the open: What is driving the dramatic rise in autism? Why do some children experience sudden developmental regression? Are environmental contributors receiving the investigation they deserve? Are the complex medical conditions experienced by many children with autism being adequately recognized and treated? And what have families learned that the medical establishment has too often failed to hear?
From one mother’s fight for her son to a seat at the national policy table, Tracy Slepcevic has made autism her life’s mission.
⏰ Time: 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
📺 Rumble, YouTube, and X
