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Wales Autism Research Centre

About us

The Wales Autism Research Centre launched in 2010 as the first national centre for autism research in the UK.

The Wales Autism Research Centre (WARC) is a group of autistic and non-autistic researchers who are committed to high quality research that makes a positive difference to autistic people, their families, and those that support them.

We have a broad programme of research. Some of our work is focused on characterising the autistic experience. We also conduct research that looks at the psychological and biological processes that shape autistic experiences. Another important area of focus is research that develops and enhances support for autistic people.

Our research is shaped by what matters to autistic people. It is important to us that we work with the autistic community, and that autistic people can contribute to our research in meaningful ways. We welcome autistic people to get involved with WARC through our WARC Community.

As well as the autistic community, we also work with the Welsh Government, Cardiff City Council, and many other national and international partners. We have also built important relationships with clinical autism services and schools, which supports us in conducting research that makes a difference.

Together, our wide-ranging research has an impact on policy, practice, and public awareness of autism.

Our history

WARC was launched in 2010 by founding director Professor Sue Leekam. It was the first national centre for autism research in the UK. Dr Catherine Jones has led the Centre since April 2019.

We are based in the School of Psychology, and are part of the Cardiff University Centre for Human Developmental Science (CUCHDS).

In 2020, WARC celebrated its ten-year anniversary.

The best way to hear about our latest news is to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Our funders

The Centre was created a unique collaboration between Autism Cymru and Autistica, the School of Psychology,  and the Welsh Government. It was established thanks to generous donations from these organisations, as well as donations from:

We are incredibly grateful for our founding funders for their role in creating WARC.

Since this initial collaborative support, we are also grateful to many other funders who have supported our researchers in pursuing research projects. These funders include:

  • The Leverhulme Trust
  • Health Care Research Wales
  • Waterloo Foundation
  • ESRC
  • MRC
  • personal donors who have very generously donated to the Centre.