annual report 2011 - Autism Speaks [PDF]

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2011

Leading the way in autism science and advocacy.

“To me,

my daughter is my hero.”

Letter from the Founders Dear Friends,

Suzanne and Bob Wright

2011 was a challenging year for the autism community. With one in 88 children, one in 54 boys, now being diagnosed with autism, our need to aggressively fund critical research, family services, advocacy and awareness has never been more urgent. Last year we received unprecedented support from the global autism community when over 2,000 iconic buildings and landmarks in over 48 countries on six continents joined us in our Light It Up Blue campaign as part of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. The Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House and Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil were just a few of the prominent participants. Landmarks, buildings, universities, corporations, retail stores and many family homes lit up blue in a unified effort to raise global awareness of the growing public health crisis of autism. In September, Autism Speaks gathered first spouses and international dignitaries, including ministers of health from more than 30 countries, for our fourth annual World Focus on Autism. When addressing this international gathering, Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, on behalf of her husband U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said, “Autism touches so many in the world, no matter how much money they have, no matter their religion, no matter their gender. Autism is at once deeply personal and truly global.” In the spring of 2011, groundbreaking findings were released out of South Korea when scientists reported that autism affects an astounding one in 38 children there. Autism Speaks was proud to have co-funded the study, the most thorough prevalence study ever reported. Autism Speaks and the CDC are partnering on a total population study in South Carolina, with significant funding from Autism Speaks, which replicates the recent study out of South Korea. We expect this model will lead the way for better research on autism prevalence. Back at home, over 450,000 volunteers and family members took to the streets when more than 88 Walks were held around the U.S. and Canada. As a result of this unified effort, approximately $30 million was raised. Also, thanks to our friends at the Ad Council and the incredible cumulative donations of $300 million in media to our public service advertising campaign, autism truly has become a household word. The autism community’s biggest accomplishment in 2011 came out of Capitol Hill. On September 30, President Obama signed the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA), extending the federal commitment to autism research, services and treatment by $693 million over the next three years. Combined with the original Combating Autism Act of 2006, federal support for autism will total over $1.7 billion. Autism Speaks salutes our lawmakers for listening and responding to the 1.5 million families across the nation who live with autism every day. Most importantly, we thank you, our friends, for your overwhelming, ongoing support.

1

Letter from the President Dear Friends,

Mark Roithmayr*

2011 marked a “summer of science.” The research we funded brought us a step closer to understanding how autism develops. In July, the results of the largest known study of twins with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using material from Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), were published. The study suggested environmental influences may increase risk for ASD. This breakthrough was quickly followed in August by the results of a study based on data from the Autism Speaks High Risk Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC). It found that 19 percent of younger siblings of children with ASD developed autism, a rate significantly higher than the general population. Last year, autism awareness continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Our ongoing partnership with the Advertising Council remained a top campaign, receiving over $300 million in donated media space. We launched two new public service announcements (PSAs), created pro-bono by BBDO, featuring fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray. The ongoing success of our partnership with the Advertising Council has been a significant factor in educating parents about the importance of early detection and building compassion for the autism community. Additionally, Autism Speaks experienced significant online growth in 2011. Our Facebook page neared 1 million fans and we completely redesigned and relaunched AutismSpeaks.org. Recognizing the needs of adults with autism, we launched the Housing and Residential Supports portal on AutismSpeaks.org. The new portal offers information to help secure residential supports, services and local housing opportunities for individuals with autism. We enter 2012 financially and programmatically strong, but there is no room to rest on our laurels. Over the course of the next five years, we are implementing a new strategic plan to address the needs of the autism community. This new plan works to ensure all children with autism are diagnosed by 18 months of age and all adults on the spectrum are covered by services throughout their lifespan. We are also focusing on translational medicine – taking scientific discoveries “from the lab bench to the bedside” to develop effective ways of diagnosing and treating autism spectrum disorders. Finally, we are evolving into a regional chapter model that will build upon our grassroots support in local communities. As I reflect upon the achievements in this past year’s annual report, I am simply amazed at what we have accomplished in such a short span of time. We could not celebrate the many successes that we do today without the passion of our volunteers, families, friends and employees. Their commitment is unending and their results can be seen in the pages to come. Sincerely,

*Mark Roithmayr stepped down in June 2012. As of this printing, Liz Feld is president of Autism Speaks.

2

About Autism •

Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders – autism spectrum disorders – caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors.

•

It is estimated that one in 88 children and one in 54 boys in the U.S. are on the autism spectrum – a 78% increase in six years.

•

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

•

An estimated two million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism. Although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered, scientists say that 50% of the increase is unexplained.

•

There is no medical detection or cure for autism.

Our Mission At Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals. Autism Speaks aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is our firm belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle. Autism Speaks. It’s time to listen.

2011 Spending

Programs & Services Fundraising, Administration & Deficit In 2011, for every dollar donated to Autism Speaks, 73 cents went to fund programs and services to support autism research, awareness, family services and government advocacy. The Better Business Bureau’s industry standard for nonprofits is to be above 65 percent.

Science and Research We have made great scientific progress in understanding the causes of and effective treatments for autism because of the support of donors over the past six years. Research has now challenged the notion that autism is a developmental disorder “of unknown causes” in support of a broader description of autism as a disorder “caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences.” Though each discovery produces new questions and avenues of research, we can now see the solid foundation we have helped build for the rapidly growing field of autism research. This includes a much deeper understanding of autism genetics and biology and an emerging picture of outside factors that can further influence risk, particularly during crucial periods of prenatal and early postnatal brain development. We are now redoubling our efforts to translate these insights into improved strategies for prevention and treatment, medical care and other life-enhancing programs for all those who struggle with autism. The tremendous progress of recent years has also advanced our research efforts into the new realm of translational science – where well-characterized biological mechanisms become the target of rational drug design. As the year’s most important discoveries make clear, Autism Speaks funding and scientific resources continue to demonstrate an increased return on investment. In other words, the year’s progress in autism research was made possible in large part by the hundreds of thousands of families and individuals who make up the Autism Speaks community of supporters. As our science program begins its triennial strategic plan reevaluation, we are struck by how we have grown from an organization that funds research to one that plays a central role in both guiding the global field of autism research and promoting the delivery of proven treatments in communities here and abroad. What has not changed is our enduring mission of improving the lives of those who struggle with autism throughout the lifespan. As never before, our annual report of science and research activities can only scratch the surface of this work. We’d love to hear from you and welcome your feedback at [email protected].

4

Highlights of 2011 Funded Research Calculating Prevalence: In 2011, Autism Speaks made possible the surprising results of the first major study to use direct community screening to estimate autism prevalence. The study showed that one in 38 South Korean children is affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the majority of children undiagnosed and in general classrooms without support.1 The findings led to the development of an Autism Speaks-CDC collaboration to develop a similar population-based study to improve estimates of autism prevalence in the United States. Also this year, the Autism Speaks Baby Siblings Research Consortium released a major publication in the journal Pediatrics, and we learned that autism recurs in families at a much higher rate than previously estimated: If one or more children in a family are diagnosed with autism, the chance that a baby sibling will develop the disorder is around one in five, more than double previous estimates.2 These results have implications for increasing monitoring and screening of siblings. This July brought the game-changing findings of the California Autism Twins Study, made possible by the direct participation of our Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) staff and volunteer families.3 As the largest-ever study of twins with autism, it revealed that nongenetic influences, or environmental factors, shared by twins but not different-age siblings play a far greater role in autism risk than previously thought — at least in infants with an underlying predisposition. These findings are now focusing research on crucial periods during pregnancy, birth and early infancy when such influences may alter brain development. Researchers analyzing postmortem brain tissue from the Autism Speaks Autism Tissue Program (ATP) made a number of discoveries that greatly advanced scientific understanding of autism’s underlying brain biology. These include the finding that persons affected by autism demonstrate a common pattern of atypical gene expression in areas of the brain responsible for language and attention — and that this common pattern can result from alterations in a variety of different autism risk genes. 4

“Thank you for what you do for our families.” 5

Science and Research Highlights (continued) In another ATP study, scientists found strong evidence that, in some cases, the development of autism stems not from mutations in the genes themselves but from problems with proteins that help control gene expression inside a cell.5 These proteins are potential drug targets. Also funded were the landmark results of a study looking at levels of inflammatory markers in the blood of young children with ASD. The researchers found elevated levels of these inflammatory markers in children with a history of regressive ASD and linked increasing levels of these markers with more impaired communication and repetitive behaviors. The findings suggest that ongoing inflammation may be linked to some forms of autism and autism-linked impairments. Future research will help clarify the implications for diagnosis and 6 treatment. In August, the science staff organized and hosted an “Immunology of ASD Think Tank” meeting in our New York City offices, with leading immunologists offering guidance on promising new avenues of autism research. Of immediate benefit to families were the results of a study validating the usefulness of a brief questionnaire that pediatricians can use to screen for autism at the one-year well-baby checkup and of another study that provides evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and other health conditions associated with autism.7, 8

Resources for Families In 2011, we brought four new sites into our Autism Treatment Network (ATN), expanding to 17 sites across North America. Also this year, the ATN reached the benchmarks of serving more than 22,000 families at its clinics annually and enrolling over 4,000 children in its research registry. The ATN also successfully competed for the renewal of a $12 million federal grant to serve as the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). AIR-P funding is administered through the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and, among other projects, is supporting the development of a dozen tool kits for families and medical professionals. These include four tool kits released in 2011: • Should My Child Take Medications for Challenging Behavior? • Taking the Work Out of Blood Work: Helping Your Child with ASD • Taking the Work Out of Blood Work: Helping Your Patient with ASD • Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder Outside of the ATN, we teamed with Hewlett-Packard and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism to launch Hacking Autism, a crowd-sourcing project facilitating the development of apps and other technologies that can provide a new voice for those with autism. Also on the theme of autism and communication, we teamed with Core77 to produce the student technology and design competition Autism Connects.

6

Autism Treatment Network Locations Northeast * Lurie Family Autism Center/LADDERS, Boston, Mass.

Resources and Workshops to Accelerate Autism Science In 2011, Autism Speaks launched a historic collaboration with the Beijing Genomics Institute, which will perform whole genome sequencing on DNA from more than 2,000 families participating in our North American Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), with additional samples from families recruited by the newly established AGRE-China collaboration. Autism Speaks’ investment in AGRE-China will be matched by a $180,000 grant from the Children’s Hospital at Fudan University. AGRE and ATP also combined their data with the National Institutes of Health National Database for Autism Research, significantly increasing the global availability of detailed information on over 5,000 individuals with autism and their families for research studies. Also in 2011, the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) received a $725,000 federal grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to enhance the AGRE resource with biological samples from children seen at ATN centers across the United States. This will provide researchers with comprehensive information on the medical issues experienced by children with ASD, while also supporting related biological and genetic studies.

* Columbia University Medical Center, N.Y. * Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Md. * University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Penn. * University of Rochester, N.Y. * Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn. Midwest * Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Ohio * University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. * Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio Southeast * Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas * Arkansas Children’s Hospital/UAMS, Little Rock, Ark. * Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, Tenn. West * Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore. * University of Colorado Denver/Children’s Hospital, Colo. * Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Calif. Canada * Toronto ATN (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Surry Place Centre, Hospital for Sick Children) * University of Alberta/Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton

We created a strategic partnership with the Simons Foundation to establish a biorepository of 445 high-risk infants and family members who are part of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium Database. We also funded the development of a legacy database to support future analyses of information on high-risk younger siblings of children diagnosed with autism (over 2,700 high-risk families so far). Such repositories are crucial for speeding and deepening research into the genetic and environmental factors that predispose individuals to autism and into the development of early diagnostic biomarkers and their association with potential treatments. In May, Autism Speaks convened a meeting of the Environmental Epidemiology of Autism Research Network, expanding this global network to 20 projects and creating a streamlined and standardized environmental exposure screening tool for use by scientists around the world. The meeting was filled with exciting ideas and opportunities for future collaborative projects, and led to working groups on the development of instrumentation addressing environmental risk factors; studies of risk factors associated with race, ethnicity and gender; and the use of geographic information system technologies to study air pollution as a risk factor for autism.

7

Science and Research Resources and Workshops (continued) In December, Autism Speaks initiated, organized and hosted the first Environmental Epigenetics of Autism Symposium. Epigenetics is the study of factors that influence gene expression. In recent years, epigenetics research has advanced dramatically in fields such as oncology. Autism Speaks is excited to be fostering similar research in the field of brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders. The December symposium brought together more than 30 experts in autism with researchers from other fields to share ideas and explore how epigenetics can inform researchers on the mechanisms of gene-environment interactions in the development — and prevention — of autism. This included the presentation of findings on how nutrition and other environmental factors can affect the function of genes and contribute to autism. We likewise partnered with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to organize a workshop on “Bioinformatics and Computational Biology to Integrate Genes and Environment in Autism Research.” In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we sponsored a national workshop on “Evaluating Changes in the Prevalence of ASDs,” with discussions aimed at deepening understanding of the 600 percent increase in ASD diagnoses over the last 20 years.

Snapshots of Progress In November, as part of the three-day symposium Autism Spectrum Disorders — from Mechanisms to Therapies, Autism Speaks co-sponsored the publication of two seminal documents developed by the scientific journal Neuron to illustrate the tremendous progress of the last six years. Now freely available on our website, SnapShot: Autism and the Synapse (bit.ly/Autism_Synapse_Snapshot) richly illustrates how 16 autism risk genes affect how neurons convey vital brain messages. SnapShot: Genetics of Autism (bit.ly/Genetics_of_Autism_ Snapshot) summarizes knowledge on scores of autism-risk genes — both their normal functions and how their mutations increase the risk of certain autism subtypes and syndromes. These documents graphically capture how autism science has reached the level where researchers can begin identifying and developing targeted medicines for the relief of disabling symptoms. Because this progress is made possible by you — our families and supporters — we are pleased to share these for free download.

8

“The excellent advocacy, resource information and grants you give are invaluable.” Translational Research In May, we recruited Robert Ring, Ph.D., to head our new division of translational research. The former senior director at Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Dr. Ring headed the pharmaceutical industry’s first autism research unit. As vice president of translational research, he is overseeing our expanding portfolio of translational science. Among the year’s accomplishments in translational research was the development of an innovative mouse model that reproduces an important genetic abnormality associated with autism.9 The model, developed in part by two of our first Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellows, is now being used to test potential therapeutic medicines aimed at relieving disabling core symptoms of autism. Also in 2011, we organized and convened two landmark cross-disciplinary meetings (involving academia, industry and government) to identify the primary challenges facing biomedical development in autism. Autism Speaks also officially joined the European Union Autism Interventions and Medicines Initiative (EU-AIMS), a public-private research partnership focused on accelerating the development of medicines. EU-AIMS represents the largest research program in the history of autism.

Our Grants division accomplished direct submission of Autism Speakstagged studies to the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central, the most comprehensive open-access database of published biomedical research. Our logo on PubMed articles will increase both awareness of our scientific impact and access to the full text articles of the research we fund.

Science and Research Autism Speaks Scholars

Featured Scholars

The past year brought the “graduation” of our first class of Dennis Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellows—bright young scholars selected to tackle priority autism research issues under the active mentorship of leading scientists in their chosen specialties. Several of our graduates eloquently described their experiences and expressed their thanks to our donors on our science blog (excerpts at left).

As I enter my fifth year of studying the molecular underpinings of autism, it is the real life applications of scientific research that continue to motivate me. I am grateful for the support of Autism Speaks and its donors in defending the realization that only by pushing the frontiers of science will solutions to today’s most pressing problems be found. – Weatherstone Fellow Elaine Hsiao

With the support of Autism Speaks, and in collaboration with my graduate advisor Jana Iverson at the University of Pittsburgh, I have been investigating the development of communication skills in infants who have an older sibling on the autism spectrum. These skills include gestures, smiles, eye contact and sounds. Our hope is to identify behavioral indicators of autism at a much earlier point than is currently possible.

In October, Lady Marion Weatherstone and representatives of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation joined the Autism Speaks senior staff in welcoming the third incoming class of fellows as they embarked on their ambitious two-year research projects. The Weatherstone memorial program was established with a generous gift from the Niarchos Foundation to encourage the most promising young talent in science to make autism research their chosen career. This year, we also announced our newest fellowship funding opportunity: The Autism Speaks Postdoctoral Fellowships in Translational Autism Research. These fellowships enable well-qualified postdoctoral students to pursue research training that accelerates the translation of basic scientific discoveries into new and effective ways of diagnosing, preventing and treating autism. A primary goal of this fellowship is to improve communication and collaboration between researchers in basic and applied sciences and medical practitioners. All fellows commit to a training plan that includes experience in both laboratory and clinical settings.

New Research Funding Over the course of 2011, Autism Speaks awarded close to $25 million in research funding to support more than 60 projects and programs including the following: •

Studies of behavioral therapies and other intervention programs designed to improve quality of life and function across the lifespan of persons with ASD.

•

Research on environmental influences that may increase the risk of autism. These include such risk factors as premature birth and prenatal exposure to infections and air pollutants. One study will examine how environmental influences can affect gene expression.

•

Research on early biomarkers that may be useful for identifying infants at risk for developing autism. These include subtle aspects of brain biology, motor impairment and learning delays. The goal of such early biomarker studies is to improve early diagnosis in ways that can lead to earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

– Weatherstone Fellow Meaghan Parlade

10

New Research Funding (continued) •

•

The first U.S. autism prevalence study using direct community sampling methods. Current U.S. prevalence rates of one in 88 are based on records of autism-related services and, as such, may miss many undiagnosed children and adults in the community. The creation of the world’s largest whole-genome library of individuals with autism. This historic collaboration with the Beijing Genome Institute promises to speed understanding of autism’s root causes and guide the development of medicines that may relieve autism’s most disabling core symptoms.

•

Studies of animal models designed to identify brain pathways involved in autism and test five compounds that may help restore healthier functioning to these brain pathways.

•

Studies on adult development, including research into sleep disorders, quality of life assessments and predictors of positive long-term outcomes in adults with ASD.

•

Updates on the economic cost of autism, including assessment of how particular services and supports may reduce lifetime costs.

•

Development of new methods for increasing access to diagnosis and early intervention services in underserved, low-resource communities in North America and abroad.

•

Five international studies focused on epidemiology and increased access to services within the Autism Speaks Global Autism Public Health initiative.

•

Co-funding of the Autism Genome Project, the largest-ever study on inherited genetic risk factors for autism ($200,000 with the balance provided by the U.K. Medical Research Council, Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Hilibrand Foundation).

•

Funding of the Interactive Autism Network’s “Pilot Project to Assess Web-based Family Recruitment for Autism Genetic Studies.”

Website visitors can now explore the studies we fund—by topic or location—using our website’s grant search engine.

Leading the Field in Innovation In placing a high priority on innovation, Autism Speaks created the Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Award in 2010 to support novel “out of the box” research that opens new avenues to understanding the causes, diagnosis, subtyping, prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. In particular, we look for one-year projects that have the potential to transform autism research or overcome significant roadblocks to progress. In 2011, Autism Speaks awarded two Trailblazer grants. One is funding the development of a blood test that identifies individuals who may benefit from PI3K/ mTOR targeted therapies. Alterations within the PI3K/mTOR cell signaling cascade may be a common mechanism in many autism disorders and, thus, a promising drug target. The second grant is funding the development of methods to identify biomarkers of gut dysbiosis and immune dysfunction in children with autism and associated gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

11

Science and Research Expanding Our Global Reach As part of World Autism Awareness Day, we co-organized a U.N. panel on autism with speakers that included U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Psychologist Saima Hossain, daughter of the Bangladeshi prime minister, addresses U.N. diplomats and guests on World Autism Awareness Day 2011.

Later in the year we launched Global Autism Public Health (GAPH)-Bangladesh with an international conference in Dhaka. We co-hosted the conference, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities in Bangladesh and South Asia, with the Bangladesh government, the Centre for Neurodevelopment & Autism in Children (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University), the World Health Organization (WHO) and WHO’s South East Asian Regional Office (SEARO). The meeting’s delegates produced the “Dhaka Declaration on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disorders,” which was presented to the U.N. and formalized the development of the South Asian Autism Network. Also in 2011, we launched GAPH-Saudi Arabia in conjunction with a donation of $10.5 million from the SABIC, a Saudi oil industry conglomerate, to support autism research and service development in the Gulf States.

Science Communications In 2011 we enhanced and expanded how we communicate the relevance of the science we fund and how we provide perspective on autism science and controversies making national headlines. In addition to upgrading the popular “Science” and “Got Questions” columns of the Autism Speaks blog, we are now regularly publishing lay-friendly autism research news articles on the main Autism Speaks website. Our research news items ranked among the website’s most read and shared content (with special thanks to our Facebook and Twitter followers). We are also in the midst of a major update and revamp of our website’s “Science” and “What Is Autism?” sections. The science leadership is also directly interacting with families and other supporters in new ways, including live webchats. These webchats include both special topics (such as medications, sleep, genetics and early intervention) and a monthly “The Doctors Are In” office hour with Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson, Ph.D. In these and other ways, the Science department continues to work closely with Field and Chapter Development, Family Services and other staff to address the urgent needs of our families and other supporters. Meanwhile, national and international media continue to seek out our science leadership for comment on autism and autism research. Our reputation has grown from the expanded expertise and insight of Vice President of Translational Research Robert Ring, Ph.D.

12

Looking Ahead The future strategic goals of the Autism Speaks science program are as follows: 1. Identify the risk factors for autism that can lead to prevention and improved diagnosis and treatment. 2. Reduce the age of early detection and improve access to early intervention. 3. Enhance the quality of and access to comprehensive medical care for children with ASD. 4. Promote the development of safe, effective interventions and medicines to reduce core and associated symptoms of ASD throughout the lifespan. 5. Improve the health and outcomes of adults with autism.

Science & Research References: Kim YS, Leventhal BL, Koh YJ, et al. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Total Population Sample. Am J Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;168(9):904-12. 2 Ozonoff S, Young GS, Carter A, et al. Recurrence Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Baby Siblings Research Consortium Study. Pediatrics. 2011;128( 3): e488 -95 [Aug 15 Epub ahead of print]. 3 Hallmayer J, Cleveland S, Torres A, et al. Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs With Autism. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; 68(11):1095-102. [Jul 4 Epub ahead of print]. 4 Voineagu I, Wang X, Johnston P, et al. Transcriptomic analysis of autistic brain reveals convergent molecular pathology. Nature. 2011 May 25;474(7351):380-4.Voineagu. 5 Shulha HP, Cheung I, Whittle C, et al. Epigenetic Signatures of Autism: Trimethylated H3K4 Landscapes in Prefrontal Neurons. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Nov 7 online content. 6 Ashwood P, Krakowiak P, Hertz-Picciotto I, et al. Elevated plasma cytokines in autism spectrum disorders provide evidence of immune dysfunction and are associated with impaired behavioral outcome. Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Jan;25(1):40-5. 7 Pierce K, Carter C, Weinfeld M, et al. Detecting, Studying, and Treating Autism Early: The One-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach. J Pediatr. 2011;159(3):458-465.e1-6. 8 Recommendations for evaluation and treatment of common gastrointestinal problems in children with ASDs. Buie T, Fuchs GJ 3rd, Furuta GT, et al. Pediatrics. 2011;125 Suppl 1:S19-29. 9 Enhanced polyubiquitination of Shank3 and NMDA receptor in a mouse model of autism. Bangash MA, Park JM, Melnikova T, et al. Cell. 2011 May 27;145(5):758-72.

Scientific Advisory Committee

1

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., Chair Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D. University of California, Davis, School of Medicine David Baskin, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine Joseph Coyle, M.D. Harvard Medical School/ McLean Hospital Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D. MIND Institute, University of California, Davis Martin Raff, M.D. University College London Glenn Rall, Ph.D. Fox Chase Cancer Center Daniel Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles

Gary Goldstein, M.D. Kennedy Krieger Institute Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D. Harvard Medical School Craig Newschaffer, Ph.D. Drexel University School of Public Health Steve Scherer, Ph.D. The Hospital for Sick Children; University of Toronto Ezra Susser, M.D., Dr.P.H. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Roberto Tuchman, M.D. Miami Children’s Hospital; University of Miami Douglas C. Wallace, Ph.D. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; University of Pennsylvania Stephen T. Warren, Ph.D. Emory University

Government Relations Autism Speaks enjoyed one of our most successful years in Government Relations during 2011, achieving high-priority goals at both the state and federal levels. The focus of our advocacy efforts is twofold: 1) maximizing support and funding at the federal level for autism research, surveillance, awareness and services and 2) pushing at the state level for autism insurance reform laws that maximize coverage for evidence-based treatments, including behavioral health treatments. In addition, Autism Speaks devoted new focus to the unique plight of military families caring for dependents with autism.

Combating Autism Reauthorization Act Autism Speaks achieved our number one legislative priority for 2011 on September 30 when President Obama signed legislation voted out of Congress, renewing the landmark Combating Autism Act for another three years. Enactment of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 (CARA) reinforced the federal government’s commitment to play a lead role in the nation’s response to the alarming rise in the prevalence of autism. Congress authorized $693 million in new federal funding over three years to continue autism research, treatment and services. The first $230 million was approved by the end of the year.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act Autism Speaks joined with The Arc and the National Down Syndrome Society at a Capitol Hill rally in November when five Members of Congress announced they were introducing the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. The bipartisan bill, introduced in both the Senate and the House, would amend federal tax law to allow individuals with disabilities and their families to deposit earnings in tax-exempt savings accounts. The funds could be used to pay for qualified expenses, including education, housing and transportation, and would supplement, not replace, benefits provided through private insurance, employment or public programs. By year’s end, the bill had attracted 75 sponsors.

14

In recognition of Autism Speaks’ efforts for CARA, the White House invited Co-founders Suzanne and Bob Wright and Board Member Billy Mann and his family to the White House bill-signing ceremony as President Obama’s guests.

Enacted Law Endorsed Bill Endorsable Bill in Process No Bill

State Initiatives At the conclusion of 2011, a majority of states (29) representing 70 percent of the U.S. population had autism insurance reform laws in place, thanks to the addition of six new states during the year. New laws were enacted in two of the nation’s most populous states — California and New York — along with Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia and Rhode Island. The first attempt to repeal an existing law, in Arizona, was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer due in large measure to grassroots opposition rallied by Autism Speaks. Nationwide, few private insurance companies or other employee benefit plans cover autism therapies; in fact, most insurance company plans designate autism as a diagnostic exclusion, meaning that no autism-specific services are covered. Autism Speaks has worked state-by-state since 2007 to change state insurance laws to require private health insurance policies to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. In recognition of Autism Speaks’ efforts behind the New York bill, Co-founders Suzanne and Bob Wright were invited to Albany by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take part in the bill-signing. The California bill-signing by Gov. Jerry Brown was announced at a Walk Now for Autism Speaks rally in Sacramento by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who championed the bill in the California legislature.

Military Families Autism Speaks stepped up its involvement with military families during 2011 to raise public awareness of the unique challenges military families face raising dependents with autism and obtaining insurance coverage through the military’s TRICARE program. Autism Speaks worked closely with U.S. Representatives John Larson of Connecticut and Walter Jones of North Carolina to rally support for the Caring for Military Kids with Autism Act. The bill would extend coverage to military retirees and expand benefits. In addition, Autism Speaks worked again in 2011 for appropriations for the Department of Defense Autism Research Program (DoDARP). For Fiscal Year 2011, we helped secure $5.1 million for this program, raising the total allocated since 2007 to $35 million. More than 60 innovative research projects have been funded through DoDARP to advance the understanding of autism spectrum disorders and lead to improved outcomes.

15

Family Services Family Services is dedicated to connecting individuals with autism, their families and the community at-large with information and resources. Our goal is to provide information that will improve the outcomes of children, adolescents and adults affected by autism. In 2011 we continued to expand our portfolio of initiatives, grants, tools and resources to better meet the needs of individuals with autism and their families during different life stages.

Housing and Residential Supports In an effort to continue our focus on the needs of adults with autism and expanding adult resources, Autism Speaks hired Leslie Long, Director of Housing and Adult Services. Working with the newly formed Autism Speaks Housing Committee, the Family Services team put together a list of goals and objectives for this new initiative. The Housing and Residential Supports portal on the Autism Speaks website offers reliable, actionable information to help secure appropriate residential supports and services, a critical aspect of the adult life of an individual with autism. We have also produced a Housing and Residential Supports Tool Kit that includes insights and resources families need as they explore housing and residential services for adults with autism. The next steps in terms of the Housing and Residential Supports initiative include developing a curriculum to train direct service providers in a residential setting and developing a national market survey to quantify the current housing and residential support needs of individuals with autism.

New Resources and Tool Kits Transition Tool Kit In February 2011, we launched the Transition Tool Kit, a comprehensive guide that provides families of individuals with autism with options to think about as they begin the journey from adolescence to adulthood. Since its launch, we have personalized and sent over 2,700 hard copies of the kit, and it has been downloaded 12,000 times.

Family Support Tool Kits This fall we created four support tool kits, each designed specifically for grandparents, parents, siblings and friends of individuals with autism. The purpose of each kit is to help teach family members and friends more about autism and its impact on families and provide resources and support. These kits have been downloaded over 5,000 times.

Health and Wellness Portal This new website provides information and resources pertaining to fitness, nutrition and sleep. Tips in each of these three areas from experts in their fields help explain how fitness, nutrition and sleep can make big differences and significantly improve the lives of children and adults with autism.

16

Safety Tool Kit This year, we launched the Safety Tool Kit, an addition to the Autism Safety Project. The new sections focus on safety in the home and in the community, and provide information about preventing sexual abuse and other forms of mistreatment. The home safety content was provided by Ohio State University and leverages the Autism Speaks Family Services Community Grant that we provided in 2010.

Autism Video Glossary Treatment Section In December, we launched the Treatment Section of the Autism Video Glossary, expanding the Video Glossary’s library with the inclusion of more than 100 video clips from actual therapy sessions illustrating 22 treatments. It offers families a window into the various treatment options, provides a description of each method, and lists the top five research studies supporting the treatment and where to find more information. The treatments presented include some of the most commonly used interventions for children on the autism spectrum: behavioral interventions, developmental interventions, structured teaching and supports, clinical therapies and toddler treatment models.

Grant Programs In 2011, Autism Speaks Family Services administered three grant programs: •

Family Services Community Grants provide funding to build the field of services for individuals with autism and expand the capacity to effectively serve the autism community. This year, Autism Speaks awarded a total of $1.1 million to 52 organizations across the U.S. and Canada. Since 2007, we have awarded $4 million to more than 150 organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

•

The Baker Summer Camp program selects eligible camps to identify scholarship campers and offers up to $5,000 in scholarship funds for campers with autism. This year, a total of $170,000 gave hundreds of financially disadvantaged individuals with autism the opportunity to have a summer camp experience. To date, the Baker Summer Camp program has provided $300,000 in funding.

•

AutismCares, made up of several autism organizations and managed by Autism Speaks, provides funding to families affected by autism to cover costs associated with critical living expenses during the aftermath of catastrophic life events. This year, the AutismCares program provided $79,000 in funding to 182 families. The program also donated 66 tablets to families of individuals with autism who would benefit greatly from the use of these technological devices. To date, AutismCares has provided $319,000 in funding to over 400 families in need.

17

Family Services This year, Targeted Requests for Applications through our Family Services Community Grants program provided $425,000 in funding for the following three initiatives: • • •

Functional Assessment for Adolescents with Autism Training for Airlines and TSA to support individuals vwith autism and their families Employment Video Series of different employment models for individuals with autism in the workplace

Resources Throughout 2011, we continued to build upon our existing resources: The 100 Day Kit and the Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism Tool Kits continue to be requested resources. In 2011, we personalized and sent out 1,720 hard copies of the kits, and the kits were downloaded 12,900 times. We also worked with the Science team through the Global Autism Public Health Initiative to have the 100 Day Kit translated into Portuguese and Serbian, in addition to the version that we have in Spanish. Community Connections, our monthly newsletter for families, has doubled in size to over 75,000 subscribers and continues to provide timely focused topics, including Special Education and Advocacy, Employment Opportunities, Technology and Finding Financial Assistance. In 2011, the Autism Speaks Autism Response Team (ART) received over 15,000 inquiries, more specifically roughly 9,000 e-mails and 6,000 phone calls. The goal of the ART is to connect families with information, resources and opportunities. The online Resource Guide provides information about what services and activities are available for families affected by autism in their local areas. We have revamped and expanded our database to include nearly 45,000 resources across 70 categories. This is the largest database of autism-related services in the United States, and is updated and added to on a daily basis.

“My son’s enthusiasm is inspiring.” 18

Awareness and Fundraising Autism Speaks’ award-winning Ad Council campaign hit a new milestone in 2011, reaching $300 million in donated media. In addition, we launched two new television, online, print and radio ads featuring international fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and NASCAR champion Jamie McMurray, both of whom have family members affected by autism. Autism Speaks completely redesigned and relaunched AutismSpeaks. org, resulting in a 25 percent increase in traffic. In addition, the Autism Speaks Facebook page neared 1 million fans and on Twitter nearly 45,000 followers. Two new social media concepts were launched: live web chats with experts on current issues related to autism and “Office Hours,” live chat sessions for individuals with autism and their families with Autism Response Team experts. Finally, in 2011, Autism Speaks was named one of “America’s Greatest Brands” by the American Brands Council. We previously received the honor in 2009.

World Autism Awareness Day On April 2, 2011, Autism Speaks celebrated the fourth annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. On the morning of April 1, Suzanne and Bob Wright and Toni Braxton, six-time Grammy Award-winner and Autism Speaks spokesperson, along with other supporters, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the fourth consecutive year. The next stop was the Empire State Building to flip the ceremonial switch to turn the building’s lights blue for the second year in a row. On April 2, a special event was held at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City where New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) spoke about every child’s innate ability to realize their full potential, and Autism Speaks debuted the new “Learn the Signs” interactive billboard. Then on April 6, Autism Speaks joined the Bangladesh and U.S. Missions to the U.N. and the U.N. Department of Public Information at the United Nations to present a panel discussion on autism. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the event and spoke of the U.N.’s commitment to raising autism awareness and creating greater acceptance. These events were only a few of many others in the autism community, where families and friends came together in countless ways in commemoration of World Autism Awareness Day.

Light It Up Blue To celebrate World Autism Awareness Day and kick off Autism Awareness Month, April 2 marked Autism Speaks’ second annual Light It Up Blue campaign. Over 2,000 iconic landmarks and buildings in more than 180 cities and 48 countries on six continents were lit blue. Iconic buildings that lit the night sky blue included the Empire State Building and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City, Niagara Falls and CN Tower in Canada, Sydney Opera House in Australia and Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil. In addition, more than 61,000 people pledged their support and lit their homes, schools, universities, restaurants and retail stores blue to shine a bright light on autism.

19

Awareness and Fundraising

Media Appearances In 2011, Autism Speaks continued its role as the leading voice of autism in the media. Major outlets from all branches of the media routinely sought out our experts for timely and accurate information on the latest advances in science, advocacy initiatives and issues impacting the autism community.

Highlights included: •

Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr was interviewed by “NBC Nightly News” for a segment on a special autism-friendly Broadway performance of The Lion King.

•

USA Today featured the Light It Up Blue campaign to highlight the start of Autism Awareness Month.

•

The Los Angeles Times covered our inaugural survey of the “Best Places to Live” if you have autism.

•

Autism Speaks Co-founders Suzanne and Bob Wright were featured on the “CBS Early Show” for a segment on Autism Awareness Month and World Autism Awareness Day.

•

Suzanne and Bob Wright were also featured on CNBC when they rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to kick off World Autism Awareness Day.

•

Autism Speaks experts provided background and assistance for a CBS “60 Minutes” report on the growing use of the iPad in the autism community.

•

Autism Speaks special events to raise funds for autism research and advocacy efforts received extensive coverage in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Women’s Wear Daily and Bloomberg.com.

•

Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geri Dawson was featured in a Parents magazine cover story on “Understanding Autism.”

•

Peter Bell, Autism Speaks executive vice president of Programs and Services, was interviewed for a PBS “Need to Know” story on adults with autism.

20

“When I walk, I know it helps.” Walk Now for Autism Speaks In 2011, Autism Speaks’ signature event, Walk Now for Autism Speaks, took place in over 85 communities across the U.S. and Canada. 450,000 people joined together with family, friends, schools, political figures and corporations to raise approximately $30 million. The financial growth of this event has made Walk Now for Autism Speaks one of the top fundraising events in the country. Corporate sponsors and teams – from national sponsors Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us, to multimarket corporate teams and local sponsorships – have helped raise both revenue and awareness simply by partnering with Autism Speaks. Walk offers a true sense of community and belonging like no other. Our events provide an opportunity for education, advocacy, support and compassion. Newly diagnosed families, surrounded by hundreds of families with a loved one with autism, quickly realize they are not alone. The Resource Fair is filled with service providers showcasing their services and programs specifically for the autism community. Walk Now for Autism Speaks is a volunteer-driven event, with thousands joining together for a day that is both fun and meaningful, generating vital funds for autism research, raising crucial awareness and providing hope for our future.

Team Up with Autism Speaks Across the nation, athletes determined to support our families struggling with autism provide hope and by dedicating their training and race participation in marathons, triathlons, cycling and other endurance events to help Autism Speaks continue to fund our vital mission. Events included the ING New York City Marathon, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, our Penn State University 5k Run/3k Walk and our Bike to the Beach events.

Autism Speaks U Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events. It is an exciting and collaborative way for students to raise funds and awareness for Autism Speaks, while supporting their local autism communities. In 2011, we had 47 Autism Speaks U chapters in 19 states, raising approximately $400,000. This year also saw the creation of our national partnership with the international male fraternity, Theta Delta Chi.

21

Awareness and Fundraising Corporate Partnerships Autism Speaks works with some of the nation’s leading corporations to increase awareness and raise funds. This year, more than $4.1 million was raised through such partnerships.

Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund led our 2011 corporate fundraising efforts, raising over $3.4 million to support crucial autism research and advocacy. Their nine-week in-store and online “Be a Hero for Autism” fundraising campaign in the U.S. and Canada coincided with April’s Autism Awareness Month.

22

•

Autism Speaks and national fashion retailer T.J. Maxx partnered for the eighth year in a row for a month-long fundraising and awareness program at 800 T.J. Maxx stores nationwide. Customers were invited to purchase an Autism Speaks puzzle piece at checkout, raising nearly $1.3 million.

•

In only its second year, Dollar General tripled its in-store campaign total to $1.2 million. Additionally, their NASCAR Nationwide Series race team sported our logo in races throughout the month of April.

•

For the second straight year, Zales Corporation donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of its beautiful Shared Hearts Collection in the U.S. and Canada, raising over $700,000.

•

White Castle expanded its puzzle piece campaign to all its stores and raised $525,000, including proceeds from the sales of a specially scented novelty “slider” candle going to Autism Speaks.

•

The Home Depot partnered with Autism Speaks by selling blue light bulbs and lanterns in all their U.S. stores for our Light It Up Blue campaign. They raised $240,000 from the proceeds of the product sales and enabled thousands of families to participate in World Autism Awareness Day.

•

Scentsy Candles created a special candle warmer featuring our puzzle piece and donated over $500,000 from sales through its network of field representatives.

•

Casey’s General Stores, the Midwest chain with over 1,500 stores, raised $210,000 in the second year of its at-theregister campaign.

•

Build-a-Bear Workshop and Autism Speaks teamed up for the seventh year in a row to raise funds for autism research and awareness. During the month of April, their register campaign raised over $180,000.

•

Premium chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli made a donation to Autism Speaks for each Gold Bunny purchased during the Easter season, raising $100,000 and generating autism awareness in grocery aisles across America. Lindt also added an online auction, with celebrity-signed porcelain bunnies and a social media campaign raising an additional $18,000.

•

For the sixth year, Modell’s Sporting Goods’ 128 store locations throughout the Northeast held a four-week puzzle campaign at checkout. New this year was a “Give One, Get Five” promotion where customers who donated a dollar received a $5 coupon for the store. The campaign raised over $100,000.

23

Awareness and Fundraising Special Events Special events, ranging from small community events to star-studded national events, raised over $7 million in 2011. These events have become such a success due to the overwhelming support, dedication and generosity of sponsors, volunteers, in-kind donors and celebrity friends who give their time and energy to support our endeavors. The top events from 2011 included:

Autism Speaks to Wall Street: A Celebrity Chef Gala The Fifth Annual Celebrity Chef Gala was held on Monday, October 3, and raised $1.5 million in support of Autism Speaks. The event was held at New York’s Cipriani Wall Street, and featured over 100 of the nation’s top chefs preparing four-course meals tableside for the 520 guests in attendance. The event was emceed by NBC’s “Minute to Win It” host and Food Network personality Guy Fieri, and co-hosted by CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl and Lee Brian Schrager of Southern Wine and Spirits of America. Guests were also treated to a special performance by Rex Lewis-Clack, a young pianist and vocalist who is faced with the challenges of blindness and autism, and opera singer Sam McElroy, who has been coaching Rex on his singing.

13th Annual Autism Speaks New York Celebrity Golf Challenge On Monday, June 20, The New York Celebrity Golf Challenge raised $1 million for autism research and services at the world-renowned Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Special guests included N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning and linebacker Michael Boley, along with former N.Y. Giants players Howard Cross and Billy Ard; University of Connecticut Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun, “Spin City” and “Mad About You” actor Richard Kind and NBA Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.

Face-Off for a Cure On March 21, over 450 guests gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for Face-Off for a Cure: An Evening to Benefit Autism Speaks and the Gillen Brewer School. The event, in partnership with the National Hockey League, raised over $1.3 million. The evening was emceed by “NBC Nightly News” Correspondent Peter Alexander and featured a special appearance by the Stanley Cup.

24

A Funny Affair On Monday December 5 Autism Speaks and New York Center for Autism honored iconic fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger for his commitment to increasing awareness and support of the autism community at A Funny Affair for Autism – a star-studded evening of fashion and comedy featuring Saturday Night Live stars Seth Meyers and Bill Hader. The event raised over $1.3 million for individuals with autism and their families.

Autism Speaks Fall Classic On Monday, September 26, Autism Speaks celebrated its Second Annual Fall Classic at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., which raised over $270,000 for autism research and advocacy initiatives.

Autism Speaks to Young Professionals (AS2YP) AS2YP is a biannual event series geared toward young professionals to raise autism awareness among the twenty-to-thirty-something age group. Together, the winter and summer events raised over $98,000 for Autism Speaks.

A Blue Affair On Wednesday, April 6, Autism Speaks teamed up with Vanessa and Donald Trump, Jr. to host A Blue Affair gala at the Trump SoHo hotel in New York City. There were over 300 guests in attendance, and the evening raised over $90,000 for Autism Speaks.

World Focus on Autism Over 30 first spouses and ministers of health from around the world gathered at Autism Speaks’ fourth annual World Focus on Autism held at the McCarton School in New York City. Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, wife of the U.N. Secretary General, and the distinguished guests discussed the global crisis of autism and shared ways to work together to find answers and increase service capacity.

FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks For the fifth year in a row, Autism Speaks partnered with Dover International Speedway for its annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race. FedEx generously donated its title sponsorship to Autism Speaks, and driver Denny Hamlin’s number 11 FedEx Toyota was adorned with a blue Autism Speaks puzzle piece paint scheme. The race generated awareness with millions of viewers on Fox.

25

Awareness and Fundraising Major Gifts Autism Speaks’ Major Gifts program is directed toward individuals, corporations and foundations that contribute $5,000 or more unrelated to a Walk or special event. We invite major gift donors to support a particular area or program of their choice. In 2011, 237 donors contributed $7.5 million to research, fellowships, Family Services programs or general support. Among the initiatives supported in full or in part by major gift donors are: the Baker Summer Camp Program, the Autism Treatment Network, an Employment Think Tank, the Autism Genome Project, Translational Research, our Community Grants Program and the Autism Cares Initiative. Highlights of 2011 included a renewal by the Allerton Foundation of their $1 million grant for scientific research and a $1 million grant from the Mel Karmazin Foundation. Mr. Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of Viacom, contributed $500,000. The Higgins Family from Manhattan Beach, CA, donated $350,000 for three research projects. Autism Speaks’ board of directors spearheaded a campaign that raised $750,000 for the Philip and Faith Geier Autism Research Grant in Environmental Sciences, a grant to be awarded each year to the outstanding proposal in the field.

26

Donor Listings Autism Speaks is grateful to all the individuals and sponsors who generously supported our mission in 2011 through major gifts, Walks or special events. Because of space limitations, the following list is limited to the $10,000+ category. $1,000,000 + Allerton Foundation Dollar General The Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation TJX Companies Toys“R”Us $500,000 + The Mel Karmazin Foundation Stavros Niarchos Foundation Sumner M. Redstone Scentsy Sprouts Farmers Market White Castle Zale Corporation $300,000 + Estate of Louis Feil Phil Geier Higgins Family Charitable Foundation KRG Children’s Charitable Foundation $200,000 + Bike To The Beach Casey’s Charities Schwab Charitable Fund Marilyn & Jim Simons The Home Depot Suzanne & Bob Wright $100,000 + Anonymous Bank Of America Tom and Sallie Bernard Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation Brian Campbell Cantor Fitzgerald Cummins Foundation Daniel Doherty Peter Evensen Express Print & Signs Richard and Susan Fade Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Gassin Family Foundation Goldman, Sachs & Co. Peter Harf Tommy and Dee Hilfiger Lisa Higgins Hussman Ireland Family Foundation JL Foundation Lindt & Sprüngli NBC Universal Ira & Ingeborg Rennert Royal Arch Research Assistance Richard Rumonoski

$50,000 + Solomon R. and Rebecca D. Baker Foundation Barclays Capital BNY Mellon John W. Carson Foundation Cassiani Family Trusts CBS Outdoor Charitable Auto Resources Eric and Laurie Chern Charles Chimera Cravath, Swaine & Moore Dave and Busters DCU for Kids Devlin Foundation Peter Emch and Merope Pavlides FedEx Services FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated Fiduciary Trust Company International Dan Fitzpatrick Focus Autism For Autistic Kids Foundation Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky Family Foundation GUESS?, Inc. Anne and Joel Horowitz Family Foundation Jesse & Joan Kupferberg Family Foundation Landscape Structures Love Ride Foundation Marcus Foundation Marshall Wace MKP Capital Management Modell’s Alecia Moore Newman’s Own Foundation North Shore Autism Circle NYSE Euronext Paulson & Co Perella Weinberg Partners Pfizer Phillips-Van Heusen Foundation Polo Ralph Lauren PriceWaterhouseCoopers QBE Foundation Anton Rabie RBS Global Banking & Markets Henry Schacht Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Laura and Harry Slatkin Starker Family Foundation Stuart and Anita Subotnick Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Warmenhoven Family Foundation Weatherstone Family Foundation Wellington Management Company Wyndham Worldwide Operations ZenithOptimedia

$25,000 + 2011 NJ Shore 5K Run 2011 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon 5K Run Before the Walk: St. Louis Maan Aljasser American Express Amherst Securities Group Anonymous BlackRock Bloomberg Brighton Collectibles BTIG Carlson Capital Pat & Jimmy Cayne Connors Family Foundation Jim Cramer Richard Darling Yves C. deBalmann Dover International Speedway Earthbound Farm Ellington Management Group Bill Finneran Larry and Meghan Foley Family Foundation Vince and Ellen Forlenza Stephen and Marla Garchik Mary Gerdts Holly Grayson GTS-Welco Marc Haas Foundation Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation Yie-Hsin Hung & Stephen Farinelli IBM Employee Service Center Investment Technology Group Ionic Capital Management IPC Systems Adrian Jones JP Morgan Chase The Karma Foundation Brian J. Kelly Howard and Patricia Kessler Michele & Howard Kessler Knight Capital Group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co Lagos Kenneth Langone Leonard and Evelyn Lauder Foundation Ricky & Ralph Lauren Laurence W. Levine Foundation LF USA Macy’s Corporate Services Samuel Mandell MassMutual Financial Group Richard King Mellon Foundation Miami Puzzle Pieces for Our Community Auction

27

Awareness and Fundraising Mike and Cindy Moran Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Motorsports Charities MRB Foundation National Basketball League National Hockey League Nest Fragrances New York Life Insurance Company Duncan & Alison Niederauer Panera Bread James Walter Pickle Charitable Foundation Pittman Family Foundation Post Integrations Praxair Distribution Inc. PVH Corp Jona Rechnitz Diliana & Spas Roussev Jeff & Fran Rowbottom RR Donnelley Paul Russo Jack Schneider Sedano’s Management Seinfeld Family Foundation Bill Shea ShopRite Jane & Jim Stern Ed and Christine Steinborn Stuart Subotnick T OFF 4 AUTISM Turnkey Verizon Foundation Warburg Pincus Foundation Wasily Family Foundation Weil, Gotshal & Manges Scott Weingard Memorial Fund Western Associates The World Trade Association of Philadelphia Mustafa Zaheer Joseph and Jennifer Zarrilli Ellen & Jonah Zimiles $10,000 + A&E Television Networks Active Media Services William Adams Adobe Foundation Alcatel-Lucent ALCOA Alderson Family Foundation Joseph Alexander Foundation Allen & Company Allianz Global Investors Managed Accounts Alpha Xi Delta Kappa Chapter Roger Altman American Electric Power Anderson Center For Autism Michelle Angelina Anonymous AOL Skylar Aronson Ashford Hospitality Trust Auction Cause Corporation Avenue Capital Group

28

Neil and Lynn Balters Diana Barbetta Grace Ann Baresich Basso Capital Management Modestus Bauer Foundation BB Franchising BBDO BD Eugene and Nancy Beard Becton Dickinson & Co Frank and Mary Bennack Mike Bilek Leon D. Black Boston Consulting Group BOWA Brain Balance Broadridge Financial Solutions Brown Brothers Harriman & Co Heather Brown Kimberly Brown Rachael Buckner John Burress David Butler BW Electric Jim and Pat Calhoun Brian and Carol Callaci Capital Group Private Client Services Nelson & Michele Carbonell Family Foundation CBS Corporation Centerview Partners Chao Foundation Irwin Chafetz Family Charitable Trust China Mist Tea Company Silas K.F. Chou Citadel Broadcasting Company Citibank Clearchannel Worldwide CocaCola Refreshments Harry D. Cohen Richard Cohen Sal Collemi Columbia Presbyterian Neurosurgery Comcast Beth Comstock Conde Nast Media Group Christine Cook Cornhole Tournament Rick Cotton Dan Coughlin Course for the Cause Cranberry Cup Charitable Association Credit Suisse Charles and Kerry Crew Bill and Tammy Crown CRT Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation Crystal Family Foundation Katrina Cukaj Daily Holdings Paula Daly Tom Davis Matthew De Castro Deutsche Bank

DHL Express Ali Dib Adele Dilschneider Charles and Helen Dolan Christopher Dorment Hebe S. Dowling Tim Downes & Property Solutions Caleb C. and Julia W. Dula Educational & Charitable Foundation Eastdil Secured Jay W. Eisenhofer Family Foundation Steven Eisenman Elmira Capital Partners EMC Employee Benefits Solutions, Inc. Charles Engelhard Foundation Ernst & Young ESCO Euro RSCG + MPG Randel Falco FINRA FirstSouthwest David and Joannie Fischer Howard Fischer Fleming Charitable Foundation Lawrence & Megan Foley Family Foundation William Foley Fox Broadcasting Company Ramsey Frank Helen Clay Frick Foundation Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson Dorian & Gary Fuhrman Kurt and Cindy Funderburg G2 Investment Group Marianne Gambelli Gameforge AG Nathan and Alice Gantcher GE Foundation Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation Glenn Family Foundation Global Crossing GoldenTree Asset Management Jay Goldman Goldsmith Family Michael Goodman Paul Gorup Graham Cap Greater Houston Community Foundation Greenberg, Trager and Herbst Mark Griffith Handhold Adaptive Kevin Hard Liana Harper Mark Herlyn Natasha Hirji Amos Hostetter, Jr. Hudson Valley Bank Inserra Supermarkets Instinet Interbrand Intersection Healthcare Partners J. Arthur Greenfield & Co Kevin & Barb Jackson

Karl Jaeger John and Jeanette Jaworski JB Charitable Lead Trust Jefferies & Company Jewish Communal Fund John Carris Investments Johnson & Johnson Tim Jones JustGive.org Andrew Kandel Al and Diane Kaneb Stephen and Jill Karp Karen Kartun Katz Media Group Kaye Family Foundation Kekst Hugh and Donna Kelly Donald Keough Brian Kerwin Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen KLP Enterprises KNCH Golfing For A Cause KPMG Laird + Partners Latham & Watkins LLP Law Offices of Wites & Kapetan Lazard Freres & Co Lear Family Foundation John LeClaire and Ruth Hodges Lee Equity Partners Leibowitz and Greenway Family Foundation Annette M. & Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes Stephen Linden Lindsay Automotive Group Michael Lindsay Nicole Littrean Long Island Walk Lotus U.S. Foundation Mario and Jennifer Loya Jeffrey Lumby Lupin Foundation Macquarie Holdings Madison Square Garden Manatt, Phelps & Phillips Lisa Manowitz Marcraft Apparel Group Marion Moore Foundation Mattel Mark & Patti McCloud McGraw Hill Frank McLane Medallion Foundation W. Hodges Mercer Ro Meyer MF Global Mitten Family Foundation Victor and Jennifer Mizrahi Sami Mnaymneh Mosi Foundation Mountain America Federal Credit Union MTV Networks

David Nadasi Nantucket Golf Club NASCAR Foundation National Cable Communications National Football League Natixis Asset Management Advisors NBC Sports Neiman Marcus Network Services Neurosurgical Associates New Jersey State Firefighter’s Mutual Benevolent Association New Jersey Wireless Association New York City District Council of Carpenters Relief and Charity Fund News Corporation Nissan North America North Allegheny School District Michael Novogratz Olde Grandad Industries Henson Orser Maureen Orth Ospraie Management Panera/Covelli Enterprises James Parsons and Carrie Quinn Partnership For Giving PennWell David Penski Frank Penski Amy and Joe Perella Pimco Foundation Pioneer Investments Pitt Ohio Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation Polar Bear Run/Walk For Autism Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation Lisa Purcell Jim & Carey Quinn Radio One RBC Capital Markets Esther Fein & David Remnick Rescar Bob and Laura Reynolds Andrew Robertson Joel and Ricki Robinson Family Foundation Randie and Ryan Roderick Diane Rogers Rothstein, Kass & Company Royalty Trust Shawn Rubin Ophelia & Bill Rudin Shawn Ryan Sackman Family Fund The Sammy O Foundation John and Diane Samuels Sandler O’Neill + Partners Gary & Mildred Schell Wendy and Eric Schmidt Steve Schroeder Eric Schwartz Jane Bell Scott Ray Scott, Jr. Seavest

Ivan Seidenberg Service Champions Heating & Air Conditioning Sheckler Foundation Justin Sheperd Shoe City Shoprite Supermarkets Sibson Consulting Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Rick Smith Speak Up For Autism Evelyn Springs Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation Mimi and Barry Sternlicht Frank Strick Foundation Subaru Sun Capital Partners Supermarket of Cherry Hill Supersmile Chandler & Paul Tagliabue Sir David Tang George and Judy Tappert Taylor Farms Retail TBWA Telluray Foundation The New York Times Company The Wireless Zone Foundation For Giving Michelle Thomas Tickets For Charity Tiger J Time Inc Tishman Speyer Charlie Trotter Turner Broadcasting System Carolyn Turner Twitter UMC of Green Trails Univision Communication US Bancorp Valdosta Junior Service League David and Bridget Van Eekeren Susan and Bill Vareschi Village Super Market Don and Jean Vivrette Vollero Beach Capital Partners The Estate of David K. Wachtel Jr. Wagner Family Foundation Wakefern Food Corporation Gene and Renee Waldron Walgreens Allison and Michael Walmark Stephen A. Walsh Peter Weinberg Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign Suzanne Wheeler Tom and Debbie Whitesell John B. Wilson Evan Winkler David and Cindy Wittels Charitable Foundation Carl E. Wynn Foundation Young’s Market Company Arthur and Dorothy Zuch

29

Financials April 18, 2012

Board of Directors Autism Speaks, Inc. New York, New York

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Autism Speaks, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and the related consolidated statements of activities, functional expenses and cash flows for the years then ended. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of Autism Speaks, Inc.’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall consolidated financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Autism Speaks, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and the changes in its consolidated net assets and its consolidated cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Elliot Horowitz & Company, LLP New York, New York

30

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION _ DECEMBER 31, 2011 and 2010 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Marketable investment securities Accounts receivable, net Pledges receivable, net Prepaid expenses Restricted cash Other assets Computer software (net of accumulated amortization of $12,712 in 2011 and $630,698 in 2010) Equipment and property, net TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities Grants payable Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred revenue Other liabilities TOTAL LIABILITIES COMMITMENTS (NOTES 7 AND 8) Net assets Unrestricted Temporarily restricted TOTAL NET ASSETS TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

2011 $14,630,454 2,488,078 1,405,075 2,403,999 285,238 2,548,719 306,819

2010 $10,887,819 310,841 616,641 4,712,413 360,341 2,665,583 447,961

7,806 694,458 $24,770,646

6,213 697,140 $20,704,952

$7,398,332 3,288,244 400,000 393,994 11,480,570

$3,162,874 3,204,681

4,050,044 9,240,032 13,290,076 $24,770,646

2,882,174 11,188,173 14,070,347 $20,704,952



267,050 6,634,605

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES _ YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011 and 2010 2011 2010 Temporarily Temporarily Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE Walk program/Retail partners $38,026,604 $55,075 $38,081,679 $33,572,270 $72,500 $33,644,770 Major gifts and other contributions 7,027,713 6,018,648 13,046,361 7,250,591 5,264,511 12,515,102 Special and community events 6,315,507 748,583 7,064,090 5,583,016 148,520 5,731,536 Government grants 1,972,489 1,972,489 1,909,210 1,909,210 Interest income, foreign currency translation and other (87,714) (87,714) 98,261 98,261 Total public support and revenue before release of restrictions 51,282,110 8,794,795 60,076,905 46,504,138 7,394,741 53,898,879 Net assets released from restrictions 10,742,936 (10,742,936) 7,424,282 (7,424,282) TOTAL PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE 62,025,046 (1,948,141) 60,076,905 EXPENSES Program services 43,881,256 43,881,256 Supporting services Management and general 2,346,446 2,346,446 Fundraising 14,629,474 14,629,474 Total supporting services 16,975,920 16,975,920 TOTAL EXPENSES 60,857,176 60,857,176 INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS 1,167,870 (1,948,141) (780,271) NET ASSETS – JANUARY 1 2,882,174 11,188,173 14,070,347 NET ASSETS – DECEMBER 31 $4,050,044 $9,240,032 $13,290,076

53,928,420

(29,541)

53,898,879

37,403,978



37,403,978

2,203,127 12,111,483 14,314,610 51,718,588

2,203,127 12,111,483 14,314,610 51,718,588

2,209,832 (29,541) 672,342 11,217,714 $2,882,174 $11,188,173

2,180,291 11,890,056 $14,070,347

31

Financials CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES – YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011 and 2010

Program Services Awareness & Other Services Research Total



Supporting Services Management and General Fundraising Total

2011 2010 Total Expenses Total Expenses

Salaries $5,574,007 $3,670,459 $9,244,466 $1,054,323 $5,059,263 $6,113,586 $15,358,052 Benefits 981,736 513,067 1,494,803 195,136 850,960 1,046,096 2,540,899 Payroll taxes 434,194 262,532 696,726 82,599 397,611 480,210 1,176,936 Science grants and awards 17,047,684 17,047,684 17,047,684 Family service grants and awards 1,998,234 1,998,234 1,998,234 Cost of biomaterial and products sold 60,250 282,493 342,743 240,505 240,505 583,248 Advertising 2,258,729 1,258 2,259,987 185,241 185,241 2,445,228 Professional services 1,435,585 1,006,968 2,442,553 105,241 522,984 628,225 3,070,778 Supplies and equipment 1,331,044 185,883 1,516,927 279,807 1,388,414 1,668,221 3,185,148 Rent 483,106 123,731 606,837 166,641 521,167 687,808 1,294,645 Printing 698,887 12,803 711,690 15,057 579,667 594,724 1,306,414 Special events – venues & services 677,386 42,554 719,940 41 1,078,089 1,078,130 1,798,070 Conferences, meetings & sponsorships 183,799 609,481 793,280 10,731 135,239 145,970 939,250 Travel, meals, lodging & transportation 667,906 588,771 1,256,677 20,073 408,741 428,814 1,685,491 Credit card/bank fees 15,812 4,269 20,081 25,121 691,489 716,610 736,691 Premium/recognition 331,579 4,207 335,786 1,003 360,731 361,734 697,520 Catering 513,903 33,716 547,619 523,413 523,413 1,071,032 Postage 334,982 30,958 365,940 25,257 532,213 557,470 923,410 Depreciation 95,635 47,104 142,739 63,439 111,018 174,457 317,196 Telephone and Internet 169,725 72,259 241,984 39,341 171,899 211,240 453,224 Legal fees 161,335 39,241 200,576 52,850 98,035 150,885 351,461 Site, audit, licensing and filing fees 110,947 17,198 128,145 85,773 127,642 213,415 341,560 Marketing 228,802 6,650 235,452 915 234,867 235,782 471,234 Photography/videography 136,025 1,960 137,985 2,684 122,342 125,026 263,011 Temporary services 176,416 37,071 213,487 91,284 187,395 278,679 492,166 Insurance 36,030 16,745 52,775 22,552 41,499 64,051 116,826 Other 50,896 75,244 126,140 6,578 59,050 65,628 191,768 TOTAL EXPENSES $19,146,950 $24,734,306 $43,881,256 $2,346,446 $14,629,474 $16,975,920 $60,857,176

$13,644,422 2,088,189 986,516 14,747,292 1,606,284 285,611 2,044,049 2,776,545 2,336,684 1,629,950 1,088,899 1,314,720 666,555 1,063,938 721,929 570,012 716,728 660,707 457,744 422,854 283,290 338,580 399,381 280,897 259,888 116,513 210,411 $51,718,588

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS – YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011 and 2010 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: (Decrease) increase in net assets Adjustments to reconcile (decrease) increase in net assets to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation Donated marketable investment securities Increase (decrease) in cash flow from: Accounts receivable, net Pledges receivable, net Prepaid expenses Restricted cash Other assets Grants payable Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred revenue Other liabilities NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Redemptions of marketable investment securities Unrealized loss on marketable investment securities Purchases of certificates of deposits, net Purchases of equipment and property Purchases of computer software NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – JANUARY 1 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – DECEMBER 31

32

2011 $(780,271)

2010 $2,180,291

317,196 (10,825)

457,744 (60,841)

(788,434) 2,308,414 75,103 116,864 141,142 4,235,458 83,563 400,000 126,944 6,225,154

199,949 2,358,812 (113,702) (860,097) (178,040) (1,429,063) 334,459

60,841 11,754 (2,239,007) (307,674) (8,433) (2,482,519) 3,742,635 10,887,819 $14,630,454

222,686 3,112,198 687,638 (250,000) (820,326) (6,553) (389,241) 2,722,957 8,164,862 $10,887,819

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. NATURE OF ORGANIZATION Autism Speaks, Inc. (AS) is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 2005 that is dedicated to increasing awareness about the growing autism health crisis and raising funds for critical autism research. AS is committed to aggressively funding global biomedical research into causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism; raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families and society; and bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of the disorder. AS obtains financial support from the public via walks, special/community events, general contributions and government grants. Canadian operations are incorporated under Canadian law as a separate entity (Autism Speaks Canada), which is controlled by AS. In 2009, Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA), a separate incorporated organization, which is controlled by AS, was formed. Contributions to AFAA are classified as temporarily restricted net assets until used for their stated purpose. The financial statements of Autism Speaks Canada and AFAA have been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. All interorganizational transactions have been eliminated. 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Accounting

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting and conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America as applicable to not-for-profit organizations.

Net Assets

The classification of AS’s net assets and its public support and revenue and expenses is based on the existence or absence of donor-imposed restrictions. Accordingly, net assets and changes therein are classified and reported as follows:

Unrestricted Net assets that are either not subject to donor-imposed stipulations, or have been reclassified from temporarily restricted net assets because donor restrictions have either expired or been met.

Temporarily Restricted

Net assets that carry donor-imposed restrictions that expire upon the passage of time or upon occurrence of a stated event as specified by the donor. Net assets released from restrictions represent the satisfaction of the restricted purpose.

Functional Allocation of Expenses The cost of providing AS’s programs and supporting services has been summarized on an individual basis in the consolidated statements of activities. Accordingly, certain costs have been allocated among the programs and supporting services benefited in ratios determined by management.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For financial reporting purposes, AS considers all money market funds and highly liquid investments, with maturities of three months or less when purchased, to be cash equivalents.

Marketable Investment Securities Donated securities are recorded at their market value at the date of gift. It is management’s policy to sell donated securities upon receipt. As of December 31, 2011, marketable investment securities were stated at the year-end quoted market price with a market value for donated securities of $10,825. These securities were received in the last few days of December 2011 and were sold in the first few days of January 2012. As of December 31, 2011, marketable investment

securities also consisted of certificates of deposits of $2,477,253 with a maturity of two years or less. As of December 31, 2010, marketable investment securities included donated marketable equity securities with a market value of $60,841. These securities were received in the last few days of December 2010 and were sold in the first few days of January 2011. As of December 31, 2010, marketable investment securities also consisted of certificates of deposits of $250,000 with a maturity of one year or less.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principle or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. It prioritizes the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value by giving the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to measurements involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). AS investments are all considered Level 1 measurements.

Pledges Receivable

Unconditional promises to give that are expected to be collected within one year are recorded at estimated net realizable value. Unconditional promises to give that are expected to be collected beyond one year are recorded at the present value of estimated future cash flows. The discounts on those amounts are computed using applicable risk-free interest rates. Amortization of the discounts is included in contribution revenue. Conditional promises to give are not included as support until the conditions are met. Payments received on fulfilled conditional promises are recognized as unrestricted net assets. AS uses the allowance method for uncollectible unconditional pledges receivable. The allowance is based on management’s analysis and evaluation of specific promises made. While management uses the best information available to make its evaluation, future adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if there are significant changes in economic conditions.

Accounts Receivable

Receivables are recorded when billed or accrued and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash. The carrying value of receivables, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts, represents their estimated net realizable value. The allowance for doubtful accounts is estimated based on historical collection trends, type of customer, the age of outstanding receivables and existing economic conditions. If events or changes in circumstances indicate that specific receivable balances may be impaired, further consideration is given to the collectability of those balances and the allowance is adjusted accordingly. Past due receivable balances are written off when internal collection efforts have been unsuccessful. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, no allowance for doubtful accounts has been established.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash represents funds received for certain grants to be awarded through 2018.

Computer Software

Computer software costs have been capitalized and are being amortized over the estimated useful lives of the assets of three to five years.

Equipment and Property

Equipment and property are stated at their costs at the dates of acquisition for purchases of $1,000 or greater. Computer hardware and equipment, and furniture and fixtures are being depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets of three years to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the term of the lease or the useful life of the improvement, whichever is less.

Grants Payable

Research grants and awards are recorded as an expense and liability subsequent to reviews by AS’s Scientific Review Panel and final approval by the Board of Directors. Grants and awards generally cover a period of one year, subject to renewal for additional years after certain conditions are met.

33

Financials Deferred Revenue

Amounts received in support of a fundraising event not yet held are accounted for as deferred revenue, if the gift is refundable, until the event is held.

Revenue Recognition

Contributions are recorded as revenue upon the receipt of cash, securities, gift or unconditional pledge. Contributions received are recorded as available for unrestricted use, unless specifically restricted by the donor, in which case they are classified as temporarily restricted. When a donor restriction expires, that is, when a stipulated time restriction ends or purpose restriction is accomplished, temporarily restricted net assets are reclassified to unrestricted net assets and reported in the consolidated statements of activities as net assets released from restrictions. AS splits revenue and expenses with partners on the fund-raising events listed below. Revenue and expenses shown in the consolidated financial statements reflect AS’s share.

Event

Partner

AS’s Share of Revenue and Expenses



Face-Off for a Cure 2011 The Gillen Brewer School 50% of revenue and expenses in Tip-Off for a Cure 2010 2011 and 2010 Atlanta Walk The Marcus Institute 50% of revenue and expenses in 2011 and 2010 Phoenix Walk The Southwest Autism 50% of revenue and expenses in Research & Resource 2011 and 2010 Center (SARRC) A Funny Affair New York Center for Autism 50% of revenue and expenses in 2011 New York The Devereux Millwood 90% of revenue and expenses Celebrity Golf Learning Center in 2010 Challenge

The Atlanta Walk had net proceeds of $570,000 in 2011 and $582,000 in 2010, 50% of which were shared with The Marcus Institute, the cofounder of which is an AS Board member. Additionally, AS contributed $5,000 to The Marcus Institute in 2010. A Funny Affair had net proceeds of $1,133,000 in 2011, 50% of which were shared with the New York Center for Autism (NYCA), the co-founder of which is an AS Board member. Additionally, AS contributed $34,000 to NYCA in 2011. In 2010, 10% of the net proceeds from the New York Celebrity Golf Challenge of $370,000 were shared with The Devereux Millwood Learning Center, which provided services to a relative of a Board member.

Donated Goods and Services

Donated goods and services that meet the requirements for recognition are recorded as revenue and expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of activities. For the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the value of contributed services meeting the requirements for recognition in the consolidated financial statements was $722,080 and $591,232, respectively. In 2011 and 2010, all donated services were directly related to AS’s awareness campaign and family service efforts, and as such are included in program services in the consolidated statement of functional expenses. Many volunteers have made significant contributions of time to AS’s program and supporting functions. The value of these contributed services does not meet the criteria for recognition and, accordingly, is not recognized in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

AS and AFAA are exempt from Federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and from state income taxes under comparable laws. The Canadian entity, exempt from Canadian income taxes, is organized without share capital under the Canadian Corporations Act. AS adopted the accounting pronouncement related to income taxes which requires that a tax position be recognized or derecognized based on a “more likely than not” threshold. This applies to positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. AS does not believe its consolidated financial statements include any uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. Management believes it is no longer subject to income tax examination for years prior to December 31, 2008.

Advertising

Advertising expenses have been charged to operations as incurred.

34

Rent

Minimum rents are being recognized on the straight-line method over the terms of the respective leases.

Foreign Currency Translation

Public support, revenue and expenses of Autism Speaks Canada are translated at the average exchange rates during the year. Gains and losses from foreign currency translation are included in interest income and other on the consolidated statements of activities. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the unrealized foreign currency loss was $84,715. For the year ended December 31, 2010, the unrealized foreign currency gain was $89,915.

Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events, none of which were material, through April 18, 2012, the date the consolidated financial statements were available to be issued, and concluded that no additional disclosures are required. 3. CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK Financial instruments which potentially subject AS to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, certificates of deposit, accounts receivable and pledges receivable. AS has cash deposits at financial institutions which exceed the Federal insurance limit, however, management does not believe there is any significant risk of loss on any uninsured amounts. All certificates of deposit are within Federal insurance limits. Additionally, AS places short-term cash in money market funds, which are secured by the underlying assets of the fund. AS’s management has assessed the credit risk with money market funds and investments held at December 31, 2011 and 2010 and has determined that an allowance for the potential loss due to credit risk is not necessary. Accounts and pledges receivables at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are due from various individuals, corporations, institutions and foundations well known to AS with favorable past payment histories. AS’s management has assessed the credit risk associated with these receivable balances at December 31, 2011 and 2010 and has determined that only a modest allowance for potential loss due to credit risk is necessary (See Note 4).

4. PLEDGES RECEIVABLE, NET As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, unconditional promises to give consisted of the following: Gross amount due in: Less than one year One to five years Six to ten years Less: allowances for doubtful pledges receivable Less: discounts to net present value Net unconditional promises to give

Dec. 31, 2011 $1,974,297 346,000 143,848 2,464,145

Dec. 31, 2010 $2,607,000 2,048,353 223,849 4,879,202

15,000 2,449,145

15,000 4,864,202

45,146

151,789

$2,403,999

$4,712,413

The discount rate used on long-term promises to give was 2.5% in 2011 and 2010. 5. EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, equipment and property consisted of the following: Computer hardware and equipment Furniture and fixtures Leasehold improvements Less: accumulated depreciation

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2010

$429,232 386,350 496,865 1,312,447 617,989 $694,458

$389,916 504,289 476,285 1,370,490 673,350 $697,140

6. TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, temporarily restricted net assets consisted of the following: Time Restricted Program Restricted Total Temporarily Restricted Net Assets

Dec. 31, 2011 $2,403,999 6,836,033 $9,240,032

Dec. 31, 2010 $4,712,413 6,475,760 $11,188,173

As of December 31, 2011, $1,163,309 of time restricted net assets is also program restricted. As of December 31, 2010, $3,315,369 of time restricted net assets is also program restricted. During 2011 and 2010, net assets were released from restrictions as follows: Time Restricted Program Restricted Total Temporarily Restricted Net Assets Released from Restrictions

2011 $2,995,057 7,747,879

2010 $3,112,812 4,311,470

$10,742,936

$7,424,282

7. GRANTS Obligations for research and family services grants and awards were $7,398,332 and $3,162,874 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The grants and awards are generally payable within one year. In addition, at December 31, 2011, grants and awards of approximately $21,785,000 are subject to discretionary renewal as described in Note 2 (Grants Payable), pending the satisfactory progress of research and the availability of funds. If satisfactory progress is achieved and funds are available, payments, including grants payable at December 31, 2011, are scheduled as follows: $15,324,000 in 2012, $9,939,000 in 2013, $3,653,000 in 2014 and $268,000 in 2015. Two members of the Board of Directors of AS and two management employees also hold positions at institutions which received funding from AS. At December 31, 2011, AS had grants payable and commitments to these institutions totaling $3,421,000. During the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, AS’s expenses included $2,314,000 and $2,793,000, respectively, related to awards granted to institutions in which a Board member or management employee held positions. Certain members of AS’s Scientific Advisory Committee, Scientific Review Panel and Scientific Advisory Boards, which are all involved in the grant appropriation process, are also associated with institutions that receive funding from AS. 8. OPERATING COMMITMENTS

Leasing Commitments

AS leases office space in various cities across the United States requiring minimum annual rents plus additional rent for operating expenses expiring through June 2021. In addition, AS has equipment leases and service agreements expiring through December 2016. As of December 31, 2011, future minimum rental payments required under operating leases that have initial or remaining noncancellable lease terms in excess of one year are as follows: Years ending December 31 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Thereafter

$1,275,568 974,641 865,789 701,923 536,908 2,003,843



$6,358,672

For the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, rent expense was $1,294,645 and $1,629,950, respectively.

Employment Agreements

AS entered into employment agreements with two officers. Under the terms of the first officer’s agreement, the officer is an employee-at-will and will receive a base salary of $377,000 per annum or at such greater rate as shall be determined by the Board

of Directors. The officer is also eligible for an annual cost-of-living increase and an annual bonus up to $50,000, both to be determined by the Board. The officer will also receive customary health, life and disability insurance. The officer is entitled to one year severance if the agreement is terminated without cause by AS. Severance is equal to the annual base compensation in effect at the time of termination plus the annual cost of COBRA coverage should this coverage be elected by the officer. Post-employment compensation and benefits will be reduced by the amount of compensation and value of benefits received by the officer in the first year post-termination should employment commence with another employer. Under the terms of the second officer’s agreement, which covers a 10year term ending on December 31, 2020, the officer will receive a base salary of $399,065 in the first year and, for each succeeding year, an amount equal to the preceding year’s salary increased by the same cost-of-living index as is used by AS in increasing the compensation of its employees. The officer is also eligible for an annual bonus up to $50,000 to be determined by the Board. The officer will also receive customary health, life and disability insurance. If the agreement is terminated without cause by AS or with good reason by the officer, the officer is entitled to the lesser of 18 month’s severance, including COBRA coverage, or the amount of salary and COBRA coverage due over the remaining term of the agreement.

9. ALLOCATION OF JOINT COSTS In 2011, AS incurred joint costs of $15,655,828 to expand autism awareness, to inform the public of the autism health crisis and other activities that included fundraising appeals. Of those costs, $8,433,474 was allocated to fundraising expenses and $7,222,354 was allocated to program services. In 2010, AS incurred joint costs of $12,507,484. Of those costs, $6,731,560 was allocated to fundraising expenses and $5,775,924 was allocated to program services. 10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS During the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, AS had the following related party transactions: (a) AS incurred expenses for services provided by The Advertising Council of $875,176 in 2011 and $844,285 in 2010 related to AS’s awareness campaign. A Board member of AS is also on The Advertising Council’s Board. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, $47,891 and $276,119, respectively, were included in accounts payable as owed to The Advertising Council. (b) In the form of a grant or sponsorship, AS incurred expenses totaling $65,652 in 2011 to eight separate autism-related organizations which are either affiliated with an AS Board member or which provided services to relatives of AS Board members or staff. In 2010 expenses totaling $45,750 were incurred to seven separate autism-related organizations. 11. RETIREMENT PLAN AS implemented the “Autism Speaks 401(k) Plan” effective January 1, 2007. Under the AS 401(k) Plan, AS will make annual contributions ranging from 3% to 8% of an employee’s salary to individual employee accounts for eligible employees, subject to Internal Revenue Service rules and limitations. Eligibility and the percentage contribution are based on years of service. Additionally, employee contributions to the Plan are matched up to 1% of salary, subject to Internal Revenue Service rules and limitations. Employer contributions for 2011 and 2010 were $696,000 and $608,000, respectively. 12. LINE OF CREDIT AS has a line of credit with a bank, which has never been used, under which it can borrow up to $1,500,000 through May 2012. Borrowings bear interest at the BBA LIBOR daily floating rate plus 1.25 percentage points, and are unsecured. 13. RECLASSIFICATIONS Certain of the 2010 amounts have been reclassified for comparison purposes.

35

2011 Board of Directors

2011 Leadership

Bob Wright** – Chairman of the Board and Co-founder, Autism Speaks; Senior Advisor, Lee Equity Partners

Peter Bell – Executive V.P., Programs and Services

Mark Roithmayr† – President

Suzanne Wright** – Vice Chair of the Board and Co-founder, Autism Speaks

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. – Chief Science Officer

Peter Bell* – Executive V.P., Programs and Services, Autism Speaks

Pat Kemp – Executive V.P., Marketing, Corporate Relations and Development

Curtis Arledge – Vice Chairman and CEO, Investment Management, BNY Mellon Sallie Bernard – Co-founder and Executive Director, Safe Minds

Tom Hetzel – Chief Financial Officer

Clara Lajonchere, Ph.D. – Vice President, Clinical Programs

James Broder – Managing Director, Deutsche Bank

Anita Miller Sostek – Vice President, Scientific Review and Operations

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.* – Chief Science Officer

Andy Shih, Ph.D. – Vice President, Scientific Affairs

Philip H. Geier, Jr.** – Chairman, The Geier Group, Ltd.

Jennifer Bizub – Chief Human Resources Officer

T. Michael Glenn – Executive Vice President, Market Development & Corporate Communications, FedEx Corporation

Richard Brown – Vice President, Leadership Giving

Gary Goldstein, M.D. – President, Kennedy Krieger Institute

Dana Marnane – Vice President, Awareness and Events

Tom Hetzel* – Chief Financial Officer, Autism Speaks Adrian Jones – Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs & Co. Tim Jones – Chief Executive Officer, ZenithOptimedia North America Mel Karmazin** – Chief Executive Officer, Sirius Satellite Radio Brian Kelly** – Principal, Eastern Development Artie Kempner – Lead Director, NASCAR on Fox Sports Mark LaNeve – Chief Marketing Officer, Allstate Insurance Co. Billy Mann – EMI Music President of New Music International/ President of Global Artist Management Bernie Marcus** – Chairman, The Marcus Foundation Shawn Matthews – Chief Executive Officer, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. Gary S. Mayerson – Founding Attorney, Mayerson & Associates Kevin Murray** – Managing Director - Global Head of Business Development at G2 Investment Group, LLC - Forbes Private Capital Group Alison Niederauer – Attorney Andrew Robertson – President & Chief Executive Officer, BBDO Worldwide Holly Robinson Peete – Actress; Author; Activist; Philanthropist; Co-founder, HollyRod Foundation Mark Roithmayr*† – President, Autism Speaks Chuck Saftler – Executive Vice President, FX Networks Jack Schneider – Managing Director of Allen & Co. LLC Dan Schulman – Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Mobile U.S.A. Laura Slatkin – President, Candela Group John Wilson – President, Hyannis Port Capital, Inc.; Managing Member, Hyannis Port Capital, LLC David M. Wittels – Senior Managing Director, Diamond Castle ** Executive Committee * Staff Officers †Mark Roithmayr stepped down in June 2012. As of this printing, Liz Feld is president of Autism Speaks.

36

Scott Leibowitz – National Director, Corporate Relations Bill Shea – National Director, Creative Services Marc Sirkin – Vice President, Social Marketing & Online Fundraising Marie Cavallo – Controller Jamitha Fields – Managing Director, Co-founders’ Office Lisa Goring – Vice President, Family Services Cathy Kanefsky – Vice President, Field and Chapter Development Stuart Spielman – Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel Lorri Unumb – Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel Robert Ring, Ph.D. – Vice President of Translational Research Sherra Pierre-March – Chief Information Officer

Pinning our hopes... on today, tomorrow, and a cure.

Main Offices Princeton 1060 State Rd. 2nd Floor Princeton, NJ 08540 Phone: (609) 228-7310

Los Angeles 5455 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 2250 Los Angeles, CA 90036 Phone: (323) 549-050

Arizona 668 N. 44th Street Suite 300 Phoenix, AZ 85008 Phone: (602) 685-1161

Georgia 900 Circle 75 Parkway Suite 445 Atlanta, GA 30339 Phone: (770) 451-0570

Michigan 309 Huron Avenue Suite B Port Huron, MI 48060 Phone: (810) 689-8429

Central Florida/Orlando 557 N. Wymore Road Bldg. A, Suite 101 Maitland, FL 32751 Phone: (407) 478-6330

Greater Delaware Valley 216 Haddon Avenue Suite 403 Westmont, NJ 08108 Phone: (856) 858-5400

Missouri 1121 Olivette Executive Parkway Suite 220 St. Louis, MO 63132 Phone: (314) 989-1003

Chicago Regency Office Plaza Suite 203 2700 River Road Des Plaines, IL 60018 Phone: (224) 567-8573

Long Island, NY 380 Oakwood Road Huntington Station, NY 11746 Phone: (631) 521-7853

North Carolina 4530 Park Road Suite 320 Charlotte, NC 28209 Phone: (704) 561-0003

New York 1 East 33rd Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 252-8584

Field Offices

Cleveland 4700 Rockside Road #420 Independence, OH 44131 Phone: (216) 524-2842 Columbus 470 Glenmont Avenue Columbus, OH 42314 Phone: (617) 610-8810

Massachusetts 980-990 Washington Street Suite 102 Dedham, MA 02026 Phone: (781) 461-8800 Miami 5805 Blue Lagoon Drive Suite 440 Miami, FL 33126 Phone: (786) 235-1165

Pittsburgh 8035 McKnight Road Suite 301 Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Phone: (412) 367-4571 Seattle 159 Western Avenue West Suite 484A Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: (206) 464-5182

South Carolina 863 Corely Mill Road Lexington, SC 29072 Phone: (803) 520-8080 South Florida 1166 West Newport Center Drive Suite 314 Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 Phone: (800) 610-6227 Texas 6380 LBJ Freeway Suite 285 Dallas, TX 75240 Phone: (972) 960-6227 Washington, DC 1990 K Street, N.W. Washington,DC 20006 Phone: (202) 955-3111 Westchester/Fairfield 21 Bloomingdale Road Banker Villa 101 White Plains, NY 10605 Phone: (914) 934-5138

International Affiliates Canada 5401 Eglinton Avenue West Suite 115 Toronto, Ontario M9C5K6 Phone: (416) 362-6227

Mideast: Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs 69 Lusail Street West Bay Area P.O. Box 4251, Doha, Qatar Phone: (00974) 495-6666 Fax: (00974) 495-6699 [email protected]

1 East 33rd Street | 4th Floor | New York, NY 10016 | Phone: 212 252 8584 © 2012 Autism Speaks, Inc., Autism Speaks and Autism Speaks It’s Time To Listen and Design are registered trademarks owned by Autism Speaks, Inc. All rights reserved.