The National Autistic Society is a British charity for autistic people. The purpose of the organisation is to improve the lives of autistic people in the United Kingdom.
Activities
In addition to a wide range of adult and children's services for autistic people located across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, the charity has an Autism Helpline open 5 days a week, a range of products for professionals working with autistics and a campaigning function. Sarah Lambert, the head of policy at the National Autistic society is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism. In 2011, the NAS consulted with numerous police agencies in developing identity card schemes designed to ensure a tolerable environment for autistic individuals during inquiries; participating agencies included the Wiltshire Police, the Essex Police, the Norfolk Constabulary, the Suffolk Constabulary, and the Cumbria Constabulary. The NAS is also a founding member of Autism-Europe, an umbrella organisation bringing together 80 autism organisations from over 30 European countries. As a member of Autism-Europe, the NAS collaborates and shares examples of learning and good practice with other associations throughout the continent. The current Chief Executive is Caroline Stevens. She took over from Mark Lever in 2019, after being Chief Executive at Kids for six years.
Organisation
The NAS is organised into four regions and currently run by an elected Board of Trustees and an elected Council through a Strategic Management Group. The president of the NAS is Jane Asher and the patron is The Countess of Wessex. The NAS is funded through UK government grants and voluntary contributions. The National Autistic Society has the following names registered with the Charity Commission:
Broomhayes School & Children's Centre near Bideford, Devon, which has now been turned into an adult residential facility since the school got close to reaching its 30th Anniversary
Church Lawton School in Church Lawton, Stoke-on-Trent
Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid Society of North London, it has around 20,000 members. In 1963, Gerald Gasson, a parent and member of the Executive Committee, designed the primary symbol for autism: a puzzle piece with a picture of a crying child inside of it, which was first used as logo by the NAS itself. The National Autistic Society originated from the foundation of the Autistic Children's Aid Society of North London on 23 January 1962 by parents of autistic children living in the area, with the assistance of a member from The Spastics Society. Sybil Elgar was asked by the parents to be their first teacher for their children. The Society school for Autistic Children was established and later renamed as the Sybil Elgar School with her as the first principal. The current name was adopted in 1975 when the charity extended its interest to the whole of the United Kingdom.
