History:
- Autism Speaks committed an unprecedented $30 million in new research funding to uncover the cause(s), prevention, treatments and cure for autism, making it the nation's top private funder of autism research.
- Autism Speaks' public service announcement campaign, produced with the Ad Council, garnered over $81 million in donated media and led to a nationwide 14 percentage point increase in autism awareness by the general public.
- Autism Speaks completed its merger with Cure Autism Now, a family-founded, autism advocacy group based in Los Angeles. In 2006 Autism Speaks merged with the National Alliance for Autism Research. Autism Speaks is now the nation's largest autism advocacy organization
Science:
- Autism Speaks funded researchers reported major scientific findings in the areas of etiology, biology, treatment and diagnosis.
- The Autism Speaks Clinical Trials Network (CTN) commenced its first industry-sponsored clinical trial, the Study of Fluoxetine in Autism (SOFIA) with UK-based Neuropharm Group Plc. The study will include more than 100 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
- An $8 million grant from the NIH will enable the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) to expand significantly in 2008.
Awareness:
- The Oprah Winfrey Show aired “The Faces of Autism” an hour-long episode on the autism epidemic and highlighted portions of the Autism Speaks documentary “Autism Every Day.” Several parents from the documentary were guests on the show.
- Over five million Starbucks cups across the U.S. featured a quote about autism awareness and the importance of early intervention from Autism Speaks co-founder Bob Wright.
- The Autism Speaks video page was launched on YouTube. “Autism Speaks Vids” is designed to increase autism awareness by featuring a variety of clips from both professional and amateur sources.
Fundraising Events:
- Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism events, with national sponsor Toys“R”Us, raised over $27 million in 61 walks throughout the U.S., as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada. Over 275,000 people participated in walks.
- Autism Speaks hosted special fundraising events including concerts, celebrity golf tournaments, star-studded gala dinners, sporting events, motorcycle rides and more, raising over $8 million.
- Autism Speaks ran in-store promotional/fundraising events as a part of April's autism awareness month with Toys“R”Us, TJ Maxx, Modell's and Build-A-Bear Workshop, raising over $2.2 million.
- Autism Speaks launched its Major Gift program which generated over $16 million in its first year. More than 200 individuals, foundations, and corporations made donations in excess of $5,000 each, unrelated to an event.
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