Raising money for research into autism spectrum disorders
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October 2008
56,498-yard tee shot by Callaway Golf FT-iQ Driver raises £18,000 at St Andrews
Celebrities and professionals tee it up for Autism Speaks at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Chessington, October 2nd, 2008 – Celebrities and Professionals turned the old golfing adage of ‘drive for show, putt for dough’ on its head this week when they teed it up at St Andrews for a special fundraising event using Callaway Golf longest and straightest ever driver, the new FT-iQ.
Players participating in practice rounds for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship were offered the chance to hit the extraordinary new driver from the 18th tee of The Old Couse at St Andrews and, for every yard gained, raised money for Autism Speaks, a charity close to the heart of Callaway Golf Staff Professional Ernie Els and his family.
The total cumulative distance during the ‘Longest Ever Drive Competition’ was an amazing 56,498 yards – more than 32 miles – raising an incredible £18,000.
Hugh Grant, Johan Cruyff, Ronan Keating, Shane Warne, Franz Klammer, Sir Ian Botham and Tim Henman were among the stars who hit fund-raising drives up the 18th fairway.
Callaway Golf Staff Professional Ernie Els, whose son Ben has been diagnosed with autism, said: “I am very grateful to everyone who took part in the competition and helped raise awareness and funds for Autism Speaks. I’d also like to thank Callaway Golf, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the team on the 18th tee for making this happen.”
“Everyone’s enthusiasm to get behind the ‘FTiQ Longest Ever Drive Challenge’ has been outstanding,” said Jeff Dodds, Callaway Golf Director of Marketing, presenting a cheque to Ernie Els for Autism Speaks. “Thank you to everyone who took part - and hitting such long drives for such a good cause.”
September 2008
Freemasons’ Grand Charity award gift of £40,000
In August, the Freemasons Grand Charity made a gift of £40,000, which we are delighted to announce will part-fund a new fellowship in autism research at Cardiff University. The fellow will work alongside a new chair of autism research currently being appointed in the School of Psychology. The new appointees will undertake internationally significant research into autism using the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre.
Autism Speaks is committed to seeking further funds for new fellowships to encourage and enable young scientists to make a career in autism research.
August 2008
Autism concert October 5th with Jools Holland & Art Exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts – October 6th.
Autism Neuroscience Conference, The Royal Society, London - 6th and 7th October 2008
July 2008
Oxford University study supports theory that rise in autism is related to increase in diagnosis
Research funded by the Wellcome Trust suggests that many children diagnosed with severe language disorders in the 1980s and 1990s would today be diagnosed as having autism.
Read more (opens new window)
Adult Autism Strategy Planned
Department of Health announces Adult Autism Strategy. Research will look at numbers of adults with autism and transitions challenges for young people.
Read more (opens new window)
July 2008
ASD and ADHD in Adults
Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment workshop at the Institute of Psychiatry
Importance of research
To read about the importance of research into autism to a family, written by a mother of an autistic child, see Times Online article
Autism Speaks hosts annual House of Commons Reception
Download pdf (opens new window)
May 2008
International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR)
Read latest news here (opens new window)
Latest report measures the national cost of autism to the UK at £28 billion a year
Read The economic consequence of autism in the UK (opens new window)
Documentary about autism
Parents Steve and Parool Jeppeson have an autistic son called Stian. They are given the unique opportunity to meet the scientists on the forefront of autism research in a hope to find out more about Stian’s condition. ‘What Can Science Do for Me – Autism’ is a must watch programme. Watch online here (opens new window)
Research Update
A new publication in the journal 'Brain' describes a significant anatomical difference in the face processing area of brain donors with autism compared to non-affected donors.
Read more (opens new window)
April 2008
Authors for Autism Research
Find out about our EBay wins at our Character Auction which ended on 2 April, World Autism Awareness Day!
Key terms in autism and autism spectrum disorder research>
This document describes some of the most important ideas in modern day research on autism. It is intended to help people, and especially parents, who may be neither doctors nor scientists to understand better what research might offer their children. For the sake of convenience, the term “autism” is used to cover the whole of autism spectrum disorder or ASD.
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March 2008
Her name is Sabine
Winner of the FIPRESCI award at Cannes Film Festival 2007. An intelligent, moving and beautiful portrait of Sabine, a 38-year-old autistic woman, filmed by her sister, the famous French actress Sandrine Bonnaire.
UK Premiere - Sunday 9 March 6PM
The Costs of Autism – Latest Report
An Autism Research Centre in Wales
Plans have been announced for the creation of an Autism Research Centre in Wales. The Centre will be a key component in the development of a Welsh national strategy for helping those with autism.
Read press release (opens pdf)
Nikken Europe
Nikken Europe, part of the global company that promotes wellness through its life enhancing product range, has found a unique way of supporting Autism Speaks.
With every sale of Nikken’s magnetic sports bracelet, a donation is made to Autism Speaks. Since the launch of the bracelets in the summer, they have been selling like hot cakes and to date, a fabulous £33,766 has been donated to Autism Speaks.
We are extremely grateful to Nikken for their generous support.
Research into Autism is severely under-funded. New Philanthropy Capital Report on Autism and Recommendation of Autism Speaks
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism
aims to account for the difference between the policies we debate in Parliament and what we hear about the impact of those policies from parents, professionals and people with autism.
Read their key findings of this report and MP recommendations
September 2007
Letter from Hilary Gilfoy, Autism Speaks' UK Chief Executive to The Times
Genetic Engineering
Researchers at the University of Texas' have genetically engineered mice with a genetic mutation that has been found in some people with autism. This may offer researchers a new means for studying how specific defects in brain development might lead to autism. Read more.
August 2007
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism: Policy into Practice (opens pdf)
Radio Interview
BBC Radio Berkshire interview - Lynn Hart, Head of Community Fundraising, Autism Speaks. Interview to discuss a donation via Reading FC of £2000 from football's Premier League.
Press Article
Hunting the Gene - The Times Online
Parents and scientists are hoping that a new detailed analysis based on human genome will bring a big breakthrough within a year.
Grandparent Power - Oxford Times
Don't underestimate what you have to offer - (opens a pdf)
July 2007
Press Article
The £50 million giveaway - SAGA
Dame Stephanie Shirley, a war refugee who against the odds built up an internationally successful technology group, has given a huge chunk of her fortune to fund education and research into autism, which scarred the short life of her son.
May 2007
House of Commons reception speech
Dame Stephanie Shirley's opening speech at the Autism Speaks activity update.
April 2007
Press article
Autism: The battle to raise funds - Mature Times
Dame Stephanie Shirley's interview on her working life and her passion for raising money for autism research.
February 2007
Preliminary Results of the Autism Genome Project
Autism Speaks, together with an international consortium of researchers and participating families, today announced the publication of the preliminary results from the largest-ever autism genome scan in Nature Genetics, one of the world's most prestigious research publications. To read more, please click here.
March 2006
Cooksey Review of Health Research
In his budget speech in March 2006 Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, announced a single, ring-fenced budget of at least £1billion to support the health research funded by the Medical Research Council and the NHS. He then asked Sir David Cooksey to conduct a consultation and review on how best to organise this single research fund. Medical research charities were one of a number of groups invited to contribute to the review. To see Autism Speaks response, in which we call for greater priority to be given to research into conditions such as autism that carry a large economic and social as well as healthcare burden, click here. The review will feed in to the 2006 pre-budget report, published in November.