Autistica is the UK's leading autism research charity working to improve our understanding of autism, improve diagnosis and give autistic people the chance to lead longer, healthier and happier lives. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person relates to others and makes sense of the world. Many face daily struggles and require a lifetime of specialist support. A quarter of people with autism speak few or no words, only 15% will ever work full-time and people with autism die on average 18 years earlier than typical adults.

Autistica’s top three research priorities are early diagnosis and intervention, mental health in autism and ageing in autism. Families and individuals with autism shape our research, so that we know the money we spend will make the greatest difference to their lives.

We are helping families by speeding up diagnosis and getting them the support they need much faster. We are working to understand and treat mental health issues that cast a shadow over so many with autism. We are tackling the unacceptably high rates of early death in autism and understand how to support autistic adults as they age.