The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that funds evidence-based

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

research and supports autism families. The organization was founded in April 2009 by Alison Tepper Singer, a former senior executive of

Autism Speaks Autism Speaks Inc. is a controversial autism advocacy organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. It sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, an ...

and the longest-serving public member of the

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a United States federal advisory panel within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It coordinates all efforts within HHS concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The IACC was ...

(IACC), and Karen Margulis London, co-founder of the

National Alliance for Autism Research The National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), based in Princeton, New Jersey, was a non-profit advocacy organization, founded by parents of children with autism concerned about the limited funding available for research. Origins and activitie ...

. Both Singer and London are parents of autistic children.

Formation

The Autism Science Foundation was created as a split from Autism Speaks, which assigned a high priority to investigating the debunked claim that vaccination is associated with autism risk. This focus raised concerns among parents and researchers. Alison Singer, a senior executive of Autism Speaks, resigned in January 2009 rather than vote for committing money to new research studies into vaccination and autism. The U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), of which Singer was a member, voted against committing the research funds; this was contrary to the Autism Speaks policy on vaccine safety research. Singer said: : ''"There isn't an unlimited pot of money, and every dollar spent looking where we know the answer isn't is one less dollar we have to spend where we might find new answers. The fact is that vaccines save lives; they don't cause autism."'' Singer noted that numerous scientific studies already disproved the link first suggested more than a decade ago and that Autism Speaks needs to "move on." Later that year, along with NAAR's cofounder Karen London, Singer launched ASF as a nonprofit organization supporting autism research premised on the principles that autism has a strong genetic component, that vaccines do not cause autism, and that early diagnosis and intervention are critical. Eric London resigned from Autism Speaks' Scientific Affairs Committee in June 2009, saying that arguments that "there might be rare cases of 'biologically plausible' vaccine involvement ... are misleading and disingenuous", and that Autism Speaks was "adversely impacting" autism research. London is a founding member of the ASF's Scientific Advisory Board. On January 5, 2011,

Brian Deer Brian Deer is a British investigative reporter, best known for inquiries into the drug industry, medicine and social issues for ''The Sunday Times''. Deer's investigative nonfiction book, ''The Doctor Who Fooled the World,'' was published in Se ...

published the first part of his

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...

series on

Andrew Wakefield Andrew Jeremy Wakefield (born September 3, 1956) is a British anti-vaccine activist, former physician, and discredited academic who was struck off the medical register for his involvement in ''The Lancet'' MMR autism fraud, a 1998 study that ...

's "elaborate fraud" which started the dubious

MMR vaccine controversy Claims of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism have been extensively investigated and found to be false. The link was first suggested in the early 1990s and came to public notice largely as a result of the 1998 ''Lancet'' MMR autism fraud ...

. On January 7, 2011, Alison Singer was interviewed by

Kiran Chetry Kiran Carrie Chetry ( ne, किरण क्षेत्री, born August 26, 1974) is a former American television broadcast journalist who, until 2011, was a cable news anchor for CNN's '' American Morning''. From 2001 to 2007 she reported� ...

on CNN's

American Morning ''American Morning'' was an American three-hour morning television news program that aired on CNN from 2001 to 2011. ''American Morning'' debuted with anchors Paula Zahn and Anderson Cooper on the day after the September 11 attacks, five months e ...

. Singer discussed the repercussions of Deer's report, stating, "...we can finally put the question of autism and vaccines behind us."

Activities

Since 2014, ASF has hosted annual Days of Learning, TED-style science conferences that bring top researchers together with autism stakeholders to share cutting-edge research findings and to discuss the issues that matter most to autism families. ASF offers numerous funding opportunities for scientists, and has been nationally recognized for its support of early career researchers. The organization currently offers pre- and postdoctoral fellowships, two-year post undergraduate fellowships, medical school gap year fellowships, and undergraduate summer research awards. ASF has been a sponsor of the "International Society for Autism Research" (INSAR) since 2009, and has interviewed numerous researchers at the event. In 2019, Alison Singer, the president of the ASF, announced that she had joined the National Council on Severe Autism. In 2020, ASF partnered with Els for Autism to form Sam's Sibs Stick Together, which aims to offer extra support for autism siblings, present findings of research that focus on siblings and discuss resources available for siblings of all ages.

Funding

Vaccinologist Dr. Paul Offit, a founding board member of the Autism Science Foundation, donates all royalties from his book ''Deadly Choices'' to the ASF. The Autism Science Foundation also receives royalties from paperback sales of Dr. Offit's previous book,

Autism's False Prophets ''Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure'' is a 2008 book by Paul Offit, a vaccine expert and chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The book focuses on the controversy surro ...

. ASF is also the recipient of funds raised throug
Wall Street Rides FAR
the annual cycling and walking event that originated in White Plains and has since expanded to include satellite rides in Baltimore and Toronto.

Awards

GuideStar named the Autism Science Foundation a top nonprofit startup in disabilities category in 2011, calling it "a shining star to those interested in real science and evidence based interventions". In 2021, ASF earned top-rated status from GreatNonProfits for the ninth consecutive year.

Scientific advisory board

The Autism Science Foundation has 17 scientific advisory board members, including

Ami Klin Ami Klin is an American psychologist who studies autism. He is the first chief of autism and related disorders at the Marcus Autism Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Klin will also be a Georgia Research Allian ...

and

Harold S. Koplewicz Harold Samuel Koplewicz ( ; born January 12, 1953) is a nationally known child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is the founder and president of the nonprofit Child Mind Institute and editor-in-chief of the ''Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychoph ...

References

External links

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Autism's fight for facts: A voice for science
''Nature Magazine'' {{Pervasive developmental disorders Autism-related organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Organizations established in 2009 Medical and health foundations in the United States Mental health organizations in New York (state) 2009 establishments in New York City