Our chief executive, Dr James Cusack, shares a tribute to our founder, Dame Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley, who recently passed away, aged 91.

Every time I introduce someone to Autistica, I would always start with Steve. Her inspiring story, her values and visionary mindset are the perfect introduction to the charity.

Steve’s pioneering spirit led her from someone who arrived at Liverpool Street station in 1939 as an 'exhausted, tear-stained and bewildered' child refugee on the Kindertransport, to becoming a billionaire. She was the founder of a women’s-only software company that pioneered working from home and wrote the code for the black box used in Concordes.

Steve’s first and only child, Giles, was autistic. He tragically died aged 35. To support Giles, Steve set up two autism support charities before founding Autistica, 21 years ago.

One of the great privileges of my job was that I got to regularly meet Steve for lunch. Meeting Steve could be intimidating. She was so impressive, so I was keen to earn the respect of the Queen of Autistica! She was also willing to have direct conversations and to respectfully criticise you if she disagreed with your decisions. This was something I quickly learnt to love about Steve.

I never managed to cover everything I planned to discuss during these lunches; Steve had so many things she wanted to ask me about our work. She was always so engaged: wanting to learn more, or to challenge my logic on certain issues. We’d often also discuss our shared experiences. She would tell me about the challenges she had keeping her son safe, and ask me about my childhood as an autistic person.

Steve was extremely well-connected. She would often set up meetings with others who could help us achieve our Mission. Nobody ever turned down a meeting with her.

Sometimes, she would playfully mock me for not speaking clearly, and it became a running joke in meetings we attended together.

Steve was so proud of our charity, saying that Autistica is 'the smallest of all the charities I’ve set up but by far the most strategic'. In 21 years, the impact of Steve setting up Autistica is nothing short of impressive. We have discovered early signs of autism, found new ways to support autistic people, and ensured they have equal access to employment. Our research has been turned into apps and treatments to help autistic people to manage anxiety, and our campaigning around health inequalities has changed policy around the globe.

Steve loved Autistica because we were so inspired by her own beliefs and values. Autistica never assumes, it always tests the assumptions and logic of itself and others, 'I’m a scientist. If something works, I do more of it. If something doesn’t work, I do something else.' Autistica also takes risks and tries new things which she loved. She always said 'We waste too much time being afraid, when what we should really fear is wasting time'.

One of the messages that I always left with when speaking to Steve was that 'this is urgent'. This really resonated with me personally as an autistic person because I was also desperate for change. We both often discussed how we should not just accept that 'research/things take time', and instead challenge the orthodoxy around how research should be done to ensure our work was set up to make a real difference as soon as possible.

In a break from her usual philanthropic model, Steve supported Autistica right up until her death: 'I am very firm usually having set up a charity and got it into independence managerially, intellectually and financially and then I leave things alone. But, every time I’ve got a bit of money off it goes to you because I know you’ll spend it well'. We were so honoured that for her 90th birthday, Steve gave us £1 million. It represented a huge endorsement of the work that we did and our visionary 2030 Goals.

It is impossible to convey how proud we all are to have Steve as our founder and how personally lucky I feel to have built a close relationship with Steve. As a former child refugee, Steve always said she wanted to make her life 'one worth saving'. We are determined to ensure we play our part by extending her incredible legacy for autistic people and their families, through better support, research and policy change. Steve's legacy will continue to change lives for generations to come.

Steve left clear wishes that she did not want a public funeral or any memorial service when she died. However, several people have told us they are looking for a way to honour her memory and all she stood for. We know many of you have been inspired by Steve and her story and want to pay tribute to such an outstanding woman. That's why we're inviting you to donate today in her memory.

Steve was actively involved with Autistica and supported us financially until the end of her life. Though she didn’t want ‘a fuss’ being made, we know she would have been deeply touched if you supported our research as a way of remembering her. By donating today, you will continue the work that Steve championed throughout her astonishing life.

We'll offer the first 50 people who donate £1000 or more a signed copy So To Speak, a collection of Steve's favourite speeches. These are some of the final copies Steve signed.