Founded in 2007, Katy Autism Support is often one of the first resources parents of children with autism turn to when they move into the Katy area.

“People moving in will contact our group and say, ‘What school should I go to?’” Katy Autism Support secretary Claire Dempsey said.

The group—which attained official nonprofit status in 2011—started as a small network.

Claire Dempsey, left, is the nonprofit’s secretary and Cynthia Reece is its president.[/caption]

“You meet other parents at therapy or at school,” Katy Autism Support President Cynthia Reece said. “That’s how we all really knew each other— from seeing each other in waiting rooms at therapy clinics.”

Katy Autism Support meets in a space in St. Peter’s United Methodist Church for in-person support meetings. About 25 people regularly attend the gatherings, Reece said. Online, however, about 850 people interact on a Katy Autism Support message board.   

Group members share their individual experiences to help others, recommending where children can go for therapy, how parents can apply for Medicaid, or where parents can apply for grants and scholarships for a child.

“Our biggest purpose is really providing information for resources,” Reece said.

She said what parents really want to know is what school their children should go to.

“It’s the No. 1 thing parents need and want that we can’t really recommend,” Reece said. “All we can do is share our experiences.”

The group’s members also advocate for measures related to autism spectrum disorders by attending Texas Legislature meetings in Austin.

“We can advocate for any kind of bill that has to do with autism,” Reece said.