Who we are
Our Vision
Equal autistic lives, free from unnecessary hardship and discrimination.
Our Mission
We gather compelling evidence from autistic people, world-leading research, and our own initiatives; and use it to create action that measurably changes autistic people’s lives for the better.
Our Values
Unafraid
Unafraid to challenge and ask difficult questions of each other – and create the safe space for others to do so.
Unafraid to be ourselves, to bring our lived and professional experience to work.
Open
Open to new ways of doing things, to challenges from the research we carry out and the community we engage with, including diverse perspectives and ways of communication.
Open to collaboration with people and organisations who can help to achieve common aims.
Committed
Committed to real, measurable change – words aren’t enough.
Committed to our community, the autistic people we are here to work alongside, as equals and experts-by-experience.
Our Beliefs
We respect and value all autistic people.
All autistic people, regardless of intellectual ability or use of language, have equal value, have equal human rights, and should have a say in the policies and practices that affect their lives.
We believe autistic people have a right to exist and be supported.
Autistic people have a right to exist and be their authentic selves, and we don’t believe autism should be prevented or ‘cured’. While many autistic people see autism as a positive part of their identity, we also recognise that not all experiences of autism are positive. We support strategies, therapies and interventions that help with specific issues that cause autistic people distress.
We acknowledge an imperfect past and present.
We acknowledge that charities and research organisations have not always recognised autistic people’s right to exist and be their authentic selves. We also know that we ourselves won’t always get things right. We commit to learning from the past, listening to our autistic community, and building a more positive future.
