A hugely varying range of impairments and abilities are associated with normal and abnormal development of our brain. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in its most severe form can be very disabling. Compared to neurological disorders of aging, such as Alzheimer’s, very little is known about the biology and pathology of normal and abnormal development. The aim of the UK Brain Bank for autism and related developmental disorders is to further our understanding of the cellular, biochemical and genetic correlates of normal and abnormal development of the human brain. This can only be done by studying tissue generously donated after death. The tissue bank is hosted in Oxford and integrated into the wider Oxford Brain Bank and a network of Brain Banks in the USA. We have an agreement with BRAIN UK to make available to national and international researchers any brain tissue relating to autism and other developmental disorders collected in the UK in order to further our understanding of fundamental principles of human brain development.