ARI's mission: To support the health and well-being of people affected by autism through innovative, impactful research and education. ARI is a leading advocate for autism research and a unique resource for individuals with autism, their families, healthcare professionals, and investigators working to identify key symptoms and signs for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We host webinars and continuing medical education lectures online for free to facilitate access to evidence-based information presented by highly qualified, expert presenters. We support the research community by facilitating networking, hosting scientific meetings, and providing funding for university and center-based faculty and post-doctoral students conducting autism research through our annual grant program.

ARI's vision is to reach a standard of care that supports people with autism throughout their entire lifespan. Despite research to the contrary, autism is still widely viewed as a strictly psychological disorder. Public policies and planning decisions should be guided with evidence-based information about the complex medical needs of people on the autism spectrum as well as their sensory symptoms. These conditions are often left untreated or are masked by psychopharmacological medications that complicate assessment and diagnosis. While the causes of ASD remain unclear, recent scientific advances challenge the traditional view of autism as an untreatable disease — as one that is genetically hardwired. Decades of research support the position that ARI has always maintained: autism is treatable. ARI continues to pioneer research, outreach, and collaborative efforts with other organizations worldwide.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Provide funding for innovative medical research and conduct scientific meetings focused on research that holds real potential for impacting the lives of people with autism.

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Goal Two: Network with support groups around the world. Currently, ARI works with more than 225 support groups located in more than 75 countries, with the goal of improving access to evidence-based treatments.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Goal Three: Leverage technology to democratize learning about autism through free online webinars and continuing education talks. Amplifying understanding of the medical nature of autism should improve care.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Describe an investment in leadership

ARI's leadership encourages a culture that provides staff and volunteers opportunities to learn and understand the complexities of autism, community considerations, and the guidance to make careful financial decisions while balancing needs. Board and staff work closely to incorporate learning opportunities in meetings and programs to develop the competencies required to sustain the organization. Formal training is highly encouraged: funding is provided continually for staff to provide professional training focused on communication, fundraising, governance, financial management, strategic planning, and program knowledge. The executive director has received certification for conducting research in compliance with institutional review board (IRB) requirements and is certified in nonprofit management. ARI's managing director received a certificate in nonprofit management at the University of Washington in June, 2022.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Actively engaging with the autism community is at the heart of our work. Because autism affects people worldwide in every culture, reaching out to different sectors of our community and creating partnerships focused on improving the health and well-being of individuals with autism is key to facilitating change. ARI's engagement strategies include: forging community connections, understanding challenges faced in other cultures, impactfully disseminating information in a meaningful and measurable way, connecting researchers and clinicians, and fostering acceptance across all sectors of the community. We work to engage a wide range of community members to create and implement a shared vision to improve the lives of people with autism as soon as possible. Over the past five decades, we have been fortunate to connect with partners around the world. Today we are focused on working toward a community action plan that democratically pools knowledge and resources.

With so much happening during the pandemic, many may have missed the Centers for Disease Control's announcement that autism now affects 1 in 54 individuals under 21 living in the U.S. This announcement again underscored the urgent need to fund biological research on the cause(s) of autism and an appropriate standard of care. The pandemic did not impede ARI's ability to sustain autism research and education support. We continued our work through the many months of lockdowns by leveraging technology with the full support of our board leadership. In 2021, we funded more than $300,000 of autism research projects with generous donor support and continued our efforts to network researchers and support groups worldwide. We expanded our online presence with free webinars, social stories, and continuing medical education webcasts by leveraging technology. We also published a book on anxiety in addition to a quarterly science newsletter, and provided Covid-19 resources for individuals and families affected by autism. Not surprisingly, we received more research applications than ever during 2021. Despite the pandemic, we engaged in a careful, rigorous process to assure we awarded funds to studies that experts determined would potentially make a difference in the health and well-being of individuals diagnosed with autism and their families. As the situation with Covid-19 continued to impact in-person events, ARI's staff worked to provide impactful resources online. Online resources during the pandemic included free online presentations offering evidence-based strategies to manage activities at home during extended school closures, free printable visual supports, videos on hygiene and medical procedures, and physician resources. Throughout the many challenging months, we were grateful for the funding and support that allowed us to sustain innovative research while providing the latest science-based information.