Autism Society of America

Non-profit organization in the USA

Autism Society of AmericaFounded| 1965

|

Founders| Bernard Rimland,[1] Ruth C. Sullivan, and others
Legal status| 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Headquarters| Rockville, Maryland, United States

Executive Chair

| Lori A. Ireland[2]

President/Chief Executive Officer

| Christopher Banks
Subsidiaries| Autism Society of America Foundation[3]
Revenue| $2,396,020[3] (2013)
Expenses| $2,378,089[3] (2013)
Endowment| $50,000[3]
Employees| 27[3] (2013)
Volunteers| 20[3] (2013)
Website| www.autismsociety.org

Formerly called

| National Society for Autistic Children[4]

The Autism Society of America (ASA) was founded in 1965[5] by Bernard Rimland[1] together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of autistic children. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children;[4] the name was changed to emphasize that autistic children grow up. The ASA's stated goal is to increase public awareness about autism and the day-to-day issues faced by autistic people as well as their families and the professionals with whom they interact.[6] Although the group has promoted the pseudoscientific belief that vaccines cause autism in the past, it has more recently affirmed that there is no link between vaccination and autism, without acknowledging previous actions to the contrary.[7] In 2021, the ASA launched a new brand including a logo consisting of multicolor lines forming a fabric with a new slogan, "The Connection Is You".[8]

## Founders

[edit]

### Bernard Rimland

[edit]

Main article: Bernard Rimland

Bernard Rimland (November 15, 1928 – November 21, 2006) was an American research psychologist, writer, lecturer, and influential person in the field of developmental disorders who is known for promoting autism-related pseudoscience. In 1964, Dr. Bernard Rimland wrote a book, Infantile Autism, that convinced others working in the field that autism is a physiological disorder, not a mental or emotional problem.[9] Rimland was a founder of the Autism Society of America in 1965, but left to create the Autism Research Institute in 1967.[10] He later promoted several theories, which have since been disproven, about the causes and treatment of autism, including vaccine denial, facilitated communication, chelation therapy, and claims of a link between secretin and autism.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Some Key Dates in Autism History". The Washington Post July 1, 2008. p. F5.
2. ^ "[1]". Autism Society of America. Accessed on March 26, 2021.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Autism Society of America. Guidestar. December 31, 2013.
4. ^ a b Campbell, Susan. "A place for miracles? Institute offers option for autistic children". St. Petersburg Times. April 13, 1988.
5. ^ "About the Autism Society". Autism Society. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
6. ^ "Autism Organizations". Autism Key. January 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
7. ^ "Statement of the Autism Society of America on Vaccine Safety". Autism Society. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
8. ^ "Autism Society's New Brand Launch". 15 November 2021.
9. ^ Krause, Audrie. "Authority on Autism Speaks from Experience: Doctor Began Research After His Son Was Diagnosed with Disorder 30 Years Ago". The Fresno Bee. November 18, 1987.
10. ^ Carey, Benedict (November 28, 2006). "Bernard Rimland, 78, Scientist Who Revised View of Autism, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Autism Society of America: home page

* v
* t
* e

Autism resources

* Autism
* outline
* history

Awareness|

* Autism-friendly
* Autism Sunday
* Communication Shutdown
* World Autism Awareness Day

Culture|

* Autistic art
* Autism in popular culture
* Fictional characters
* Films about autism
* Circle of Friends
* Neurodiversity

Accommodations|

* Sensory friendly
* KultureCity

Therapies

| Psychotropic medication (antipsychotics)|

* Aripiprazole
* Risperidone

|

Behavioral|

*     * Discrete trial training (Lovaas)
* Picture exchange communication system (PECS)
* Pivotal response treatment
* Positive behavior support
* Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)
* Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
* Social skills training

Developmental|

* Floortime (PLAY Project)

Controversial|

* Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
* Auditory integration training
* Aversion therapy (Judge Rotenberg Center)
* Chelation of mercury
* Facilitated communication
* Gluten-free, casein-free diet
* Hug machine
* Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
* Holding therapy
* Relationship development intervention
* Secretin
* Sensory integration therapy
* Son-Rise
* Vitamin B12

Related|

* ADHD medication
* Melatonin
* Occupational therapy
* Social Stories
* Speech therapy
* Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
* Structured teaching (TEACCH)

Centers

| Research|

| United States|

* Association for Science in Autism Treatment
* Autism Research Institute
* Autism Science Foundation
* Kennedy Krieger Institute
* National Alliance for Autism Research
* Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
* Yale Child Study Center

|

United Kingdom|

* Autism Research Centre (UK)

* Conditions and research areas
* Researchers

Therapy|

| United States|

* Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
* MIND Institute

|

Schools|

* Alpine Learning Group
* Eden II School for Autistic Children
* ESPA College (UK)
* Exceptional Minds (USA)
* New England Center for Children
* Pathlight School (Singapore)
* Rebecca School
* Sunfield Children's Home (UK)
* TreeHouse School (UK)
* Western Autistic School (Australia)

Organizations

| International|

* Autism rights movement
* Wrong Planet

|

Americas|

| United States|

* Autism Network International
* Autism Science Foundation
* Autistic Self Advocacy Network
* Autism Society of America
* Autism Speaks
* Centro Ponceño de Autismo
* Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation
* Generation Rescue
* Interactive Autism Network
* Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
* LENA Foundation
* National Alliance for Autism Research
* National Council on Severe Autism
* National Database for Autism Research
* The Autism Community in Action

|

* Centro Ann Sullivan (Peru)
* Domus Instituto de Autismo (Mexico)

Asia|

* Action for Autism (India)
* Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)

Caribbean|

* Autistic Society of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (Jamaica)

Europe|

| UK|

* Autism Anglia
* The Autism Directory
* Autism Awareness Campaign UK
* Autism Cymru
* Autism Plus
* Autistica
* National Autistic Society
* Sacar

|

* Specialisterne (Denmark)
* Aspies For Freedom

Oceania|

* Luke Priddis Foundation (Australia)

Literature

| Non-fiction|

* The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son
* Animals in Translation
* Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger's Syndrome
* Autism's False Prophets
* Extreme Love: Autism
* Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence
* In a Different Key
* Life, Animated
* Like Colour to the Blind
* Look Me in the Eye
* Mother Warriors
* My Autobiography
* NeuroTribes
* Nobody Nowhere
* The Reason I Jump
* Somebody Somewhere
* Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues
* Strange Son
* Switched On
* Unstrange Minds

|

Fiction|

* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
* Dear John
* House Rules
* Mockingbird
* Saving Max
* Speed of Dark
* The Winter Journey
* With the Light

For younger people|

* Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism
* Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism
* Marcelo in the Real World
* Rage: A Love Story
* Rules

Journals|

* Autism
* Autism in Adulthood
* Autism Research
* Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
* Molecular Autism
* Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

* v
* t
* e

Autism

Main|

* Causes
* Diagnosis
* Epidemiology
* Epigenetics
* Heritability
* History
* Memory
* Pathophysiology
* Sex and gender
* Societal and cultural aspects
* Therapies

Diagnoses|

* Pervasive developmental disorder
* Autistic disorder
* Asperger syndrome
* Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified
* Childhood disintegrative disorder
* High-functioning autism

Associated conditions
and phenomena|

* Alexithymia
* LGBTQ identities
* Burnout
* Catatonia
* Masking
* Meltdowns
* Inertia
* Echolalia
* Echopraxia
* Emotional dysregulation
* Hyperlexia
* Infodumping
* Late talker
* Monotropism
* Nonspeaking
* Pathological demand avoidance
* Pronoun reversal
* Savant syndrome
* Special interests
* Stimming
* Sensory overload

Comorbid conditions|

* Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
* Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
* Anxiety disorder
* obsessive–compulsive disorder
* Developmental coordination disorder
* Epilepsy
* Intellectual disability
* Sensory processing disorder
* Global developmental delay
* Developmental verbal dyspraxia

Associated syndromes|

* 22q13 deletion syndrome
* Angelman syndrome
* CHARGE syndrome
* Cohen syndrome
* Cornelia de Lange syndrome
* DiGeorge syndrome
* Down syndrome
* Fetal valproate spectrum disorder
* Fragile X syndrome
* MECP2 duplication syndrome
* Neurofibromatosis type I
* Noonan syndrome
* Multiple hamartoma syndrome
* Rett syndrome
* Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome
* Timothy syndrome
* Tuberous sclerosis
* Williams syndrome

Related issues|

* Autism rights movement
* Critical autism studies
* Discrimination
* Double empathy problem
* Employment
* Multiple complex developmental disorder
* Neurodiversity
* TEACCH program
* Twice exceptional
* Violence and autism

Controversies|

* Facilitated communication
* Lancet MMR autism fraud
* MMR vaccine
* Rapid prompting method
* Thiomersal
* Chelation
* Combating Autism Act
* Autistic supremacism

Diagnostic scales|

* Autism Diagnostic Interview
* Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
* Childhood Autism Rating Scale
* Gilliam Asperger's disorder scale

Screening scales|

* Autism-spectrum quotient
* Childhood Autism Spectrum Test
* Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale

Lists|

* Autism-related topics
* Fictional characters
* Schools

Accommodations|

* Autism-friendly
* Curb cut effect
* Inclusive design
* Neurodiversity and labor rights
* Sensory friendly
* Supported employment
* Universal design

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template