Marking 50 Years of Improving Lives

Earlier this year, the Autism Society of North Carolina marked 50 years of improving the lives of individuals with autism, supporting their families, and educating communities. Our organization was started in 1970 by a group of parents who wanted to build better lives for all children with Autism Spectrum Disorder across the state and offer supports throughout the lifespan.

ASNC planned to begin celebrating our golden anniversary at the March annual conference and continue through the spring with in-person events at our offices throughout the state. Unfortunately, COVID-19 meant none of these events could take place, and we were called upon to adapt to change, as has often happened throughout our history. ASNC began as a small group of parents and professionals who shared a goal and vision for their children to be able to access schools, recreational programming, and other services. Over the past five decades, ASNC has grown and evolved into an organization offering so much more across our state. From those small, volunteer-driven beginnings, ASNC now responds to the changing needs of individuals with autism and their families through more than 1,000 employees across the state. Autism Resource Specialists now cover all 100 counties, and staff work one-on-one with people of all ages daily, helping them to succeed in school, develop new skills, maintain fulfilling employment, and live independently. Our website includes a wealth of online resources (webinars, toolkits, social narratives, etc.) that empower our community and the over 200,000 people who view it annually. “Fifty years later, improving lives, supporting families, and educating communities are still the pillars of our organization, and the Autism Society of North Carolina is fulfilling that mission more than ever,” said CEO Tracey Sheriff. We encourage readers to go to www.autismsociety-nc.org/ history to view our 50th retrospective video, a timeline of notable events in our history, and remembrances from parents, individuals we serve, and longtime staff. We hope you will share your memories there in our virtual guest book.

Reliable Resource

Are you reading ASNC’s blog regularly? Our Autism Resource Specialists, Clinical team, and Public Policy staff contribute in-depth articles aimed at supporting individuals with autism and their families. Some of our most popular recent posts:

Working through the Challenges of Wearing a Mask

Telling Your Child about an Autism Diagnosis New Adventures in These Challenging Times

www.autismsociety-nc.org/blog

To mark the 50th anniversary, ASNC also refreshed its logo to better align with our mission statement and community. The updated look recognizes our history and established brand elements and has changed to reflect the diverse needs of our community during the next 50 years. Our well-established brand now has a more modern, connected look, reflecting the collaborative relationship between adults with autism, families, and professionals. Our colors remain the same. But we have adapted the icon and fonts, recognizing we live in a digital-first world of mobile devices. Those elements are now easier to see and read across all mediums.

“As the prevalence rate of autism has risen and the number of diagnosed adults has increased, the Autism Society of North Carolina has responded to community feedback, creating numerous innovative services and supports year after year,” Sheriff said. “As our new look shows, we aren’t finished being innovative and creating new options for our community. We’ve come so far in the first 50 years and are excited about what we can do moving forward.” g