AUTISM SPEAKS INC

AIDED MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE. AUTISM RESPONSE TEAM AND EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM PROVIDED SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE TO OVER 66,431 PEOPLE SEEKING AUTISM INFORMATION AND RESOURCES INCLUDING 9,662 CONTACTS FROM THE SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY; LAUNCHED A NATIONAL AUTISM INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE PROVIDER NETWORK WITH 12 ORGANIZATIONS AND LED BIMONTHLY CAPACITY BUILDING TRAININGS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN AUTISM CARE COORDINATION AND SERVICE ACCESS. WE EXPANDED RESOURCES FOR AUTISTIC ADULTS, INCLUDING A TOOLKIT FOR ADULTS SEEKING AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS - WRITTEN BY AUTISTIC ADULTS - THAT WAS DOWNLOADED OVER 33,800 TIMES. WE LAUNCHED A DRIVING WITH AUTISM DIGITAL TRAINING AND A SUITE OF TRANSITION RESOURCES. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.WE ALSO RELEASED A HEALTHCARE TRANSITION ROADMAP TO SUPPORT THE SHIFT FROM PEDIATRIC TO ADULT CARE, A CHANGE SHOWN TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES. PROVIDED 26 NEW TRANSLATED RESOURCES, SPANISH RESOURCES ALONE WERE DOWNLOADED AND VIEWED OVER 25,000 TIMES. LED REGULATORY CHARGE FOR ACCESS TO ALL EVIDENCED BASED AUTISM THERAPIES FOR MEDICAID ENROLLED CHILDREN. OVER 6,000 INDIVIDUALS ACROSS 46 BUSINESSES HAVE ACCESSED THE WORKPLACE INCLUSION NOW (WIN) DIGITAL TRAININGS TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES. FUNDED $208,846 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT NEXT GEN AUTISM SCIENCE LEADERS WORKING TO DEVELOP MODELS OF CARE.

WE INCREASE KNOWLEDGE THROUGH RESEARCH TO DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AUTISM AND LEAD TO ADVANCEMENTS IN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS, EARLY INTERVENTION, AND PERSONALIZED HEALTHCARE. CONNECTED FAMILIES IN 50 STATES AND 37 COUNTRIES WITH RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO AUTISM EXPERTS. WE UNVEILED A NEW RESOURCE FOR THE TREATMENT OF ADHD, ANXIETY AND IRRITABILITY IN AUTISM, PROVIDING CLINICIANS WITH A STRUCTURED, EVIDENCE-INFORMED APPROACH THAT WILL ULTIMATELY IMPROVE CARE FOR PEOPLE ON THE SPECTRUM. WE FUNDED THREE NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS TO REVEAL HOW AUDITORY PROCESSING DIFFERENCES AFFECT AUTISTIC PEOPLE, UNLOCKING INSIGHTS THAT COULD TRANSFORM DIAGNOSIS, COMMUNICATION, AND DAILY SUPPORT. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.WE ALSO SUPPORTED FELLOWSHIPS FOR TWO EARLY CAREER AUTISTIC SCIENTISTS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AUTISM, AMPLIFY AUTISTIC VOICES AND REFLECT THE REAL EXPERIENCES OF AUTISTIC PEOPLE. AS RESULT FROM THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT OF AUTISM AGING, WE JOINED FORCES WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION TO FUND PIONEERING RESEARCH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR AND CEREBROVASCULAR HEALTH IN AUTISTIC PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, WE CO-ORGANIZED A WORKSHOP WITH ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION TO EXPLORE THE EMERGING RESEARCH ON DEMENTIA AND OLDER AUTISTIC ADULTS. AUTISM SPEAKS' MSSNG PROJECT, THE WORLD'S LARGEST AUTISM GENOME DATABASE, EXPANDED BY ADDING 2,489 FULLY SEQUENCED GENOMES, FUELING GLOBAL DISCOVERIES AND ACCELERATING PROGRESS TOWARD MORE PERSONALIZED CARE FOR AUTISTIC PEOPLE. WE RELEASED ABN 2.0, AN EXPANSION OF THE ORIGINAL ABN 1.0. THE UPDATED REPORT INCLUDES MORE RECENT STATISTICS, AN INCREASED FOCUS ON ISSUES AFFECTING ADULTS, SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH AND HEART HEALTH, AND NEW DATA ON VARIOUS TOPICS.