Northern Ireland's home grown Autism Society. Who we are, Where we've been and where are we headed?

“Can you fax me that information today?” (Professional)

“What! The spuds are burning! You must be joking!”
(Parent founder member of Autism Northern Ireland)

This exchange will be familiar to many who were at the birth pangs of Autism Northern Ireland. In the closing years of the 1980’s, much of the early Autism awareness and family support in Northern Ireland took place in the front rooms of committed parents and professionals to give you the history of Autism NI is to give you the history of Autism in Northern Ireland.

At this point the work of the “NI Association for Autistic Children” must be recognised. This early parent’s society was established in the 1970’s but was not to survive a particularly violent and volatile period in our history in N Ireland when few social and economic issues were properly addressed.

Autism, being so much a casualty of Northern Ireland’s civil unrest as any other social or economic issue, had to depend on local passion and initiative rather than external benevolence. Hence, while the National Autism Societies of England and the Republic of Ireland were established in the 1960’s, Autism NI was only founded in 1990. The baton was finally passed on from the earlier NI Autism Society.

In the journey from 1990 to the present day, Autism NI has never departed from its original Mission and Ethos. While proud of its professional standing in the world of Autism, Autism NI has never lost sight or touch with its humble origins. It is still a very personal organisation built upon evidence of real and immediate need as a result of its work in the field of action research.  To read more about Autism NI's history, click on Autism NI Timeline