IVAN COREA is the eldest son of Vernon and Monica Corea. He was born in Colombo, Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. He was educated at S. Thomas' Preparatory School, Kollupitiya and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia in Sri Lanka. When the family moved to the United Kingdom, he attended Chalfonts County Secondary School in Chalfont, St. Peter's Buckinghamshire, Archbishop Tenison's Grammar School in Croydon and went to Colleges attached to Brunel University and Greenwich University.

He has been an educator, writer, journalist, broadcaster and a children's advocate - campaigning on behalf of the poor and poor families with autism. He has campaigned on autism since 2000, founding the Autism Awareness Campaign (UK), the UK Autism Foundation and Autism Sunday, which is now a massive international event, celebrated in many countries. He also launched an autism awareness campaign in Sri Lanka.

The inspiration behind Ivan and Charika's autism awareness campaign, is their son Charin. Ivan said, he was a blessing from God. The autism awareness campaign has received many awards, including The Charity Times Charity Personality of the Year Award, The Windrush Community Service Award, The BBC TV Community Award (Runner Up Award), the Asian Woman Magazine Community Award, The Beacon Fellowship Highly Commended Award and the Daily Mail Unsung Heroes Award Certificate.

Ivan Corea has written for books and magazines, including the Third World Impact books. He was a contributor to the Visible Minority Report, presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Kuala Lumpur. He was the first Corea to be interviewed on CNN and televised worldwide, when CNN anchor Max Foster interviewed him on autism in a CNN report titled: 'Fighting for Autism'.

Their autism awareness campaign, has taken Ivan and Charika Corea to such places as Buckingham Palace, No. 10 Downing Street and resulted in mention in debates in the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, early day motions in the House of Commons and in Prime Minister's Questions.

In 1981, Ivan Corea was nominated for the UN Media Peace Prize, for his journalistic work. He has also interviewed Heads of State in South Asia.