OUR MISSION
The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) supports autism research by providing funding directly to scientists conducting cutting-edge autism research. ASF also shares information about autism with the general public and serves to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the needs of individuals and families affected by autism.
EARLY CAREER SUPPORT FOR SCIENTISTS
ASF provides pre- and postdoctoral research fellowships to support promising young researchers working to discover the causes of autism and develop new treatments. The foundation also offers grants to highly dedicated undergraduates to support summer research, and to medical school students to support gap-year research.
RESEARCH INITIATIVES
In 2017, ASF launched the Autism Sisters Project in an effort to understand why four times as many boys as girls are diagnosed with autism and to study autism’s female protective effect. ASF also sponsors the Autism Baby Siblings Research Consortium, which studies the earliest signs of autism, and recently launched the Next Gen Sibs project to measure recurrence risk and learn about early signs in the children of unaffected siblings. ASF additionally serves as the outreach partner for the international Autism BrainNet, encouraging families to donate postmortem tissue for research.
STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION
ASF produces the autism “TED” talks each year in New York and San Francisco, which bring scientists and families together to share research findings and discuss ideas for future research. The foundation also supports an annual symposium to share new school-based autism treatment research with classroom teachers, and disseminates new findings through its website, social media channels and award-winning weekly podcast.A STRONG VOICE FOR SCIENCE
ASF staff and board members serve on many federal, state and local boards, including the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), and are frequently quoted in major media regarding autism issues. ASF also has major projects underway to study best practices for supported employment, to encourage more families to participate in autism research, to prevent wandering by children with autism and to encourage families to vaccinate their children and pursue evidence-based treatments.
ASF covid-19 initiatives
ASF has moved forward quickly in response to the COVID-19 emergency, offering resources for families, service providers and researchers, including new Pivot Grants to help keep research on new treatments going forward. Click here for ASF resources on everything from how to handle your autistic child’s behaviors at home, preparing your child for a telehealth appointment, and detecting early signs of autism remotely.