Autistica

Autistica, is a UK charity devoted to raising and investing funds into biomedical research and peer-reviewed studies on autism, based in London. Autistica’s stated goals include determining the causes and biological bases of autism spectrum disorders, improving diagnoses of autism, and advancing and evaluating new treatments and interventions, with an eye towards improving quality of life for people affected by autism.

Autistica was founded as 'Autism Speaks in the UK', a UK partner of Autism Speaks, in 2004 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley. The link with the US parent was severed from 1 January 2010. Autistica is registered in and operates throughout England and Wales.

The mission and goals of Autistica are distinct from those of the UK-based National Autistic Society (NAS). While Autistica concentrates its efforts on research into the causes and treatments of autism, with a view to reduce the age of diagnosis, provide effective, evidence-based treatments for people with ASD, particularly co-occurring problems, including epilepsy, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and severe maladaptive behaviours (SMB), and researching autism and ageing, the NAS focuses on the service needs of autistic individuals.

Autistica funds pioneering medical research to understand the causes of autism, improve diagnosis, and develop new treatments and interventions. They are the UK’s leading autism medical research charity, and they are committed to funding translatable research that will make a difference to people’s lives. They work closely with the autism community to address those issues that cause the greatest concern to those living with autism day by day. They also work with many of the UK’s finest clinical research establishments to ensure that their investment in research is targeted to deliver the best outcomes. Their aim is to move the research from bench to bedside so that new discoveries can translate as quickly as possible into a better experience for all those affected by the condition.

Their current scientific priorities are to: Bring down the average age of diagnosis and develop early interventions that can improve the outlook for individuals with autism. Improve the quality of life for young people and adults with autism by understanding the additional physical and mental health issues that many individuals experience and ensure the development of effective treatments. Support adults with autism through improving our understanding of how autism changes over the lifespan and making sure that adult specific needs are addressed.

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