30 Years Of The Journal Autism: How Far Have We Come And What Is Next?

June 2026 marks the thirtieth birthday of the journal Autism and this special collection celebrates that incredible milestone. Our current journal Editors have selected articles from our back catalogue which have shaped their understanding and their work – and our field as a whole. Some represent turning points or moments of excellence. Others sadly demonstrate how much progress is still needed on many issues that affect autistic people’s lives. In each case we accompany the original article with a short reflection from the nominating editor, giving an account of why they selected that particular article for inclusion.

As well as looking back and celebrating our past, this birthday provides us with a reason to consider our future. Like all 30-year-olds embarking on a phase of greater maturity and independence, Autism is becoming a grown-up force in the autism research landscape. Our journal now receives in excess of 1000 submitted manuscripts per year, and accepts less than a quarter of those. We are just one of many superb autism-focused journals, so our decisions certainly are not the be-all and end-all of published autism research. Nonetheless we are acutely aware of our influence. As editors, we seek to wield our decision-making power responsibly and effectively.