Dear ASfAR Member,

I would like to welcome you to ASfAR.  We are here to serve you and to advocate on your behalf. ASfAR’s mission is to support research, to improve the lives of autistic people and their families across the lifespan, and to assist and advocate on behalf of researchers working in the field. We are also honoured to support the next generation of researchers including our student and early career members.

ASfAR commenced in 2011, with the idea of providing a community for researchers who have a focus on autism. Since then, we have grown, and run several international conferences, and now also support a state-based conference program.  Over the next years we hope to provide you with an increasing level of support as you undertake research.  We hope to build stronger relations to the community, and continue to support development of the research agenda in ways that the community wants and which builds collaborative and collegial research.

You should familiarise yourself with the ASfAR committee members and get to know them.  They are there to support you and represent your views.  Let them know what you would like us to do for you.

Bookmark our page, follow us on Facebook or Twitter and keep an eye on announcements as we run regular conferences, offer student scholarships and grants, run regular webinars from international and local researchers. Over the next years, we hope to develop a number of new and useful initiatives to support our members and the Australasian autism research community.

Thank you for your support.  Without members there is no ASfAR.

Dr Jessica Paynter