Autism Society of America

Autism Society of America Inc.
Founded1965
FoundersBernard Rimland,[1] Ruth C. Sullivan[2], and others
Tax ID no.
52-1020149[3]
Legal status501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[3]
HeadquartersRockville, Maryland, United States[3]
Chair of the Board of Directors
Tracey Staley[4][5]
President/Chief Executive Officer
Vacant (since July 4, 2025)[6]
SubsidiariesAutism Society of America Foundation[3]
Revenue$3,404,989[3] (2021)
Expenses$2,808,051[3] (2021)
Endowment$50,000[3] (2021)
Employees22[3] (2021)
Volunteers50[3] (2021)
Websitewww.autismsociety.org
Formerly called
National Society for Autistic Children[7]

The Autism Society of America (ASA) is an American non-profit organization whose stated goal is "to improve the lives of all affected by autism."[3] It was founded in 1965[8] 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;[7] the name was changed to emphasize that autistic children grow up. 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.[9] In 2021, the ASA announced new branding, including a logo consisting of textured multicolor lines and the slogan, "The Connection Is You".[10] In the past, the ASA has utilized controversial puzzle-piece imagery, including a trademarked puzzle-piece ribbon and a graphic of a boy's head interwoven with puzzle pieces.[11][12]

  1. ^ a b "Some Key Dates in Autism History". The Washington Post July 1, 2008. p. F5.
  2. ^ Sandomir, Richard (2021-09-30). "Ruth Sullivan, Advocate for People With Autism, Dies at 97". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Autism Society of America Inc. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2021.
  4. ^ Joyce, Carissa (2022-02-03). "Tracey Staley Selected as Chair of the Board of Directors for Autism Society of America". Autism Society. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  5. ^ Allred, Delancy (2025-07-08). "Autism Society of America Disheartened by Passage of Budget Reconciliation Bill". Autism Society. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  6. ^ Geddie, Becky (2025-05-16). "Autism Society of America Announces Leadership Transition". Autism Society. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  7. ^ a b Campbell, Susan. "A place for miracles? Institute offers option for autistic children". St. Petersburg Times. April 13, 1988.
  8. ^ "About the Autism Society". Autism Society. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  9. ^ "Statement of the Autism Society of America on Vaccine Safety". Autism Society. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  10. ^ "Autism Society's New Brand Launch". 15 November 2021.
  11. ^ Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Raimond, Adam R.; Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Boston, Jilana S.; Harp, Bev (February 2018). "Do puzzle pieces and autism puzzle piece logos evoke negative associations?". Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 22 (2): 118–125. doi:10.1177/1362361317727125. ISSN 1461-7005. PMC 6085079. PMID 28823194.
  12. ^ Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Harp, Bev; Gernsbacher, Morton Ann (2011). "Infantilizing Autism". Disability Studies Quarterly. 31 (3): dsq–sds.org/article/view/1675/1596. doi:10.18061/dsq.v31i3.1675. ISSN 2159-8371. PMC 4266457. PMID 25520546.
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