Ensuring access to reliable, vetted information and services throughout the life span can only be achieved through work in communities nationwide and around the globe, prioritizing diversity and individual experiences regardless of age or level of need.

For more than a decade, our trained Autism Response Team members have provided real-time support and guidance. We share no-cost resources and tools across the spectrum and throughout the life span, provide grants to local organizations to increase services for people with autism and families, and offer online access to nationwide database of service providers.

Most recently, we’re proud to share this progress achieved over the last fiscal year. 

• Aided more than 4.1 million people through funded services and supports.  
• Provided access to online tool kits, downloaded more than 184,000 times.  
• Expanded access to information and resources through Facebook, podcasts and story-sharing.  
  • All 23 Autism Treatment Network tool kits covering medical and behavioral topics in autism, as well as one-page lay summaries, were translated into Spanish  
  • Two video tool kits about communication supports were developed in English and Spanish, and two sleep video tool kits were also translated into Spanish  
  • Tool kits available in up to six languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, French and Somali 
• Shared information and engaged the public on topics including early diagnosis, transition, adult services and financial assistance through 130 community meetings and outreach town hall events serving more than 15,000 people. 
• Conducted 1,000+ community training and outreach events, including 71 in non-English-speaking communities. 
• Published results of transition of the Autism Treatment Network into Autism Learning Health Network, working with families, clinicians and researchers to accelerate the discovery and dissemination of best practices in medical care. 
• Helped improve medical and behavioral care of more than 46,000 children and teens with autism, who saw primary care physicians at the 12 sites of the Autism Learning Health Network across North America. 
• Improved access to autism care in local communities, particularly in rural and underserved populations by expanding ECHO Autism Primary Care program to nearly 800 providers. ECHO Autism provides virtual mentoring and best-practices education for community health providers. 
• Hosted congressional briefing on Autism and Disparities: Addressing the Needs of Underserved communities, sharing perspectives from diverse communities and engaging Congress in this important national discussion.  
• Brought services and guidance to thousands of autism families in low- or no-resource settings. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, we expanded Caregiver Skills Training program to 40 communities in the U.S. and abroad.  
• Provided relief when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in late February, rallying our organization and the broader autism community to:  
  • Provide financial assistance to more than 400 families through Autism Cares grants  
  • Field more than 1,000 contacts to provide real-time support for those impacted by connecting them to local resources and critical information 
  • Design a resource page to make it easy for families, adults on the spectrum and healthcare providers or educators to find resources to address the broad range of needs resulting from the pandemic 
  • Work tirelessly to ensure that the autism community was represented at the grassroots, state and federal advocacy levels as legislators pushed through emergency plans in response to the pandemic