Autism Society

The Mission of Autism Society: Working to improve the lives of those who suffer from autism by providing advocacy, education, and information in the hopes of increasing public awareness about the many issues that are faced by those with autism.

The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1965 by Dr. Bernard Rimland, Dr. Ruth Sullivan and many other parents of children with autism, the Autism Society is the leading source of trusted and reliable information about autism. Through its strong national network of affiliates, the Autism Society has spearheaded numerous pieces of state and local legislation, including the 2006 Combating Autism Act, the first federal autism-specific law. The Autism Society’s website is one of the most visited websites on autism in the world and its quarterly journal, Autism Advocate, has a broad national readership.

The Autism Society also hosts the most comprehensive national conference on autism, attended by 2,000 people each year. Their Information and Referral team, program staff and strong affiliate presence in states and communities throughout the country serve thousands of families each year who are searching for help in their journey with autism.

The Autism Society’s national office is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. They are proud to be one of the few organizations to have members on the autism spectrum serving as active members of their board of directors as well as in other leadership positions throughout the organization. Temple Grandin was the first member-elected person with autism to serve on the Autism Society Board of Directors, in 1988.