The ultimate goal of experts and parents is to find a cure for these disorders. The Autism Research Institute is an organization of experts that share this common goal. The institute was founded in 1967 in order to conduct research aimed at improving the way that this disorder was treated, how it was diagnosed and to hopefully prevent the disorder altogether.

The Autism Research Institute was founded by Dr. Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. and has long been considered an international authority on the disorder. He also founded the Autism Society of America. Dr. Rimland's passion for research on autistic disorders came from the fact that he himself had an autistic child. This fact alone gave him the information and experiences that he felt were important for all parents with autistic children to understand. Dr. Rimland is also a prize winning author and was the chief technical advisor for the major motion picture, Rain Man.

The Institute publishes a quarterly newsletter that covers the different advances in the world of autistic disorders. These advances include those of a biomedical nature and those that refer to education. This Institute is a non-profit organization which relies on chartable contributions from those who understand and are concerned with the needs of individuals who have autism spectrum disorders. The ARI believes that its purpose is to help parents of autistic children who are overwhelmed by fear and grief and to motivate them to find help to cope with the situation.

The Autism Research Institute has been a world of help and information for individuals who have a child with an autistic disorder and works to give them hope for a brighter future for their children. Doctor Bernard Rimland felt the need for such an organization after he was faced with caring for an autistic child and knew that other parents could benefit from his research and information. Research is extremely important to helping individuals with this disorder to lead more normal and productive lives. Being able to pinpoint the disorder early is a huge step in learning how to deal with the disorder and helping the child to grow to their full potential.