Irish Society for Autism

What Irish Society for Autism does

The Irish Society for Autism is Ireland's longest-established dedicated autism charity, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Dublin, operating under charity registration CHY 5547 with a staff of eight. It serves autistic individuals, their families, schools, businesses, and government bodies, providing information dissemination, training, education programmes, advocacy, and residential facilities across six counties (Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Wexford). All services to beneficiaries are delivered free of charge.

The organisation operates a donation-driven non-profit model, funded through individual giving (one-off and recurring), corporate donations, legacy bequests, and wedding favour contributions. A small e-commerce operation at shop.autism.ie sells Christmas cards (€7 per pack), Christmas decorations (€4 each), and branded teddy bears, with retail distribution through selected Irish outlets. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard web/CRM tooling and a JustGiving integration; no proprietary platform or AI capability is indicated.

Historically, the Society has shaped autism policy infrastructure: it co-authored the European Charter of Rights for Persons with Autism (signed by 331 MEPs in 1996) and contributed to the establishment of the UN General Assembly's World Autism Awareness Day in 2007. In 2018 it received a €6 million legacy from Elizabeth O'Kelly designated for awareness, research, and training. Current activity includes university research collaborations (DCU), DARE review work with the Irish Universities Association, an inclusive musician internship with Crash Ensemble, and ongoing regulatory advocacy with the Mental Health Commission.

Name

Irish Society for Autism

Legal name

Irish Society for Autism

Website

https://autism.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Irish Society for Autism is Ireland's longest-established dedicated autism charity, founded in 1963, providing information, training, advocacy, and residential services to autistic individuals and families across six Irish counties, funded through donations and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Advocacy and Disability Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Teacher Training & Professional Development (EDAKAKAL), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Autism Assistive Technology & Learning Tools (Educational) (EDAKAKAM), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Autism advocacy services
• Disability support services
• Autism awareness training
• Residential autism care
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin 1

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations from individuals and corporations through its website and JustGiving platform. Legacy giving and in-memory donations are also accepted.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce shop selling Christmas cards, Christmas decorations, and merchandise such as teddy bears. Products are available through shop.autism.ie and retail outlets.
3. Christmas Cards and Decorations: Seasonal sales of Christmas card packs (12 cards per pack at €7) and Christmas decorations (€4 each) available in retail outlets around the country and through the online shop.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate giving programme where businesses can make donations, particularly at Christmas. Businesses can also engage the organization for autism training.
5. Wedding Favours: Charitable wedding favours programme where couples can make donations and receive cards and scrolls to notify guests, with proceeds supporting the organization's work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Irish Society for Autism is a non-profit that provides free information services, autism training programmes, school education programmes, research and advocacy, and residential care for autistic adults across six Irish counties. It complements these services by issuing Autism Cards (Alert, Face Mask, Information) and operating a Shopify-based online shop that sells Christmas cards, decorations, teddy bears and wedding favour donation packages to raise funds.

Product overview

The Irish Society for Autism operates as a single-service non-profit organization offering a comprehensive range of autism-related services rather than a unified software product. The organization provides Information Services (website, email, phone support, and publications), Autism Training (across multiple sectors), Education Programmes (for primary and secondary schools), Research & Advocacy initiatives, and Residential Facilities (in Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, and Wexford). The society also issues Autism Cards (Alert Card, Face Mask Card, and Information Card) to help autistic individuals communicate their needs. Through its e-commerce arm (Irish Society for Autism Shop on Shopify), it sells merchandise including Christmas Cards (€7/pack), Christmas Decorations (€4 each), and Wedding Favours. Donation services include Christmas Gift Donations and Corporate Giving programs. The organization marks World Autism Day annually and supports the European Charter of Rights for Persons with Autism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Autism Alert Card

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JustGivingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJustGiving platform is used for processing donations to the Irish Society for Autism. The platform enables one-time and recurring donations, providing a core fundraising channel for the charity.
• Crash EnsembleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrash Ensemble partnered with the Irish Society for Autism to promote their 2026 Musician Internship Programme, which particularly welcomes neurodivergent musicians including autistic individuals. The internship offers emerging musicians mentorship alongside Ireland's leading contemporary music ensemble.
• Dublin City University (DCU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCU PhD student Carrie Grennan is conducting research on 'Perspectives of Autistic Girls on Research Methods Used to Facilitate Their Voices' in partnership with the Irish Society for Autism, which is promoting the study.
• Irish Universities Association (IUA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Irish Society for Autism is sharing information about the DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) National Review being conducted by IUA and DARE participating higher education institutions to examine equitable access to higher education.
• Skypark CarlingfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkypark Carlingford partnered with the Irish Society for Autism to host an Inclusive Family Fun Day for autistic children and children with additional needs and disabilities, featuring sensory-friendly spaces and adapted activities.
• Hunt MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Irish Society for Autism is promoting the Hunt Museum's Inclusive Museums project working group, seeking autistic people to identify barriers to access and co-create digital learning resources for museums across Ireland.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AsIAm: Ireland's largest autism advocacy and support charity, operating a national autism information service, training programmes, and policy work. Directly comparable to ISA as an Ireland-based, multi-channel autism organization serving autistic people, families, schools, and employers, but with a more digital-first delivery model.
• Middletown Centre for Autism: All-islands Centre of Excellence for autism education and intervention, jointly funded by the Irish and UK governments. Closely comparable to ISA in its autism-specific educational support, training, and teacher professional development offerings, particularly for schools.

Regional players

• Amaze: US-based (Colorado) autism information and support organization providing information services, training, advocacy, and community programmes. Comparable to ISA in operating an information-and-training-led autism support model within a defined regional scope.
• Autism NI: Northern Ireland's autism-specific charity offering information, training, advocacy, and family support. Comparable to ISA as a jurisdiction-specific autism advocacy and service body operating on the same island.
• Scottish Autism: Scotland's largest autism-specific provider, operating information services, training, schools, and adult residential services. Closely mirrors ISA's multi-service model within a different national jurisdiction.

Others

• Disability Federation of Ireland: National umbrella body for Irish disability organizations. Comparable to ISA as an advocacy, policy, and information hub but operates as an umbrella rather than a direct autism service provider.
• National Council for Special Education (NCSE): Irish statutory body responsible for special education policy, planning, and supports including autism-specific resources. Comparable as a referral and information partner for families and schools, but publicly funded rather than charitable.

Broad incumbents

• Autism Society of America: One of the oldest and largest US autism advocacy organizations providing information, education, advocacy, and community connections. Comparable in mission scope (autism-specific advocacy and information) though operating at substantially larger scale.
• National Autistic Society: The UK's leading autism charity providing information, training, education, advocacy, and residential services. Operates at a much larger scale than ISA but offers the most direct functional analogue across the same service categories.

Emerging players

• Enable Ireland: Major Irish disability services charity providing assessment, therapy, training, and family support across physical, sensory, and learning disabilities including autism. Overlaps with ISA on information, training, and family support for autistic children and adults in Ireland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-society-for-autism

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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