Dan McNulty, Jennifer McNulty, Eugene Bustillos, Roger Dela Rosa, Marcello Coelho, Ryan Plantin, Richard Huvard and Tasha Nesbit

The Autism Research Institute

Grant Awarded: $24,935

For more than 40 years, The Autism Research Institute has devoted its work to conducting research, and to disseminating the results of research, on the triggers of autism and on methods of diagnosing and treating autism.

McNulty & Company developed a brochure that truly expressed the turmoil of an autism sufferer. “We envisioned a series of stark, lonesome images in black and white that could somehow speak to the isolating effects of this disorder... A series of illustrated pages follows bold typography with jumbled text on an almost angry, defiant field of red in an effort to visualize the frustration and desperation trapped within the autistic mind. Moving forward from there, however, the book — like the children helped by the ARI — blossoms into full color and the children, initially shown alone, are finally brought together with family and friends.”

Based on the work of Dr. Bernard Rimland, The Autism Research Institute has completely changed the way in which autism is treated, approaching it as a biological disorder with multiple causes, and treating biomedical issues in order to improve neurological functioning.

The team is satisfied that they have produced a piece of work that accurately depicts the condition. As such, it will undoubtedly help the thousands of families torn apart by the illness.