In 1998, NAAR played a pivotal role in establishing and funding the Autism Tissue Program, a parent-led post-mortem brain tissue donation program dedicated to autism research.

The Autism Tissue Program makes post-mortem brain tissue available to as many qualified scientists as possible to advance autism research. Using brain tissue, scientists can go far beyond the constraints of other technologies and study autism on both a cellular and molecular level.

Without this tissue - the most fundamental, rare and precious of resources - studies that could lead to the treatment and eventual cure for autism spectrum disorders cannot be done. Brain tissue studies also increase our ability to learn to diagnose autism earlier and better assess the risks of inheritance.

The Autism Tissue Program is co-sponsored by NAAR, Autism Coalition for Research and Education and the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California at Davis.

To enroll or for more information, call (877) 333 - 0999 or visit www.MemoriesofHope.org.