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Texas County residents are invited to join a group to learn more about autism and share help and support to those needing it.
“Texas County Autism Connection Get-Together” is 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, at Wellspring Church at 6659 U.S. 63 in Houston.
Organizers say the setting is a casual one. Families, individuals and caregivers are invited to share some time together connecting. Persons can bring a snack to share, a card game or board game — or just yourself. To access additional information check on Facebook, “Texas County Autism Connection.”
The hope is a schedule can be established with in-person meetings every three months and a Zoom meeting each of the two months in between.
An organization associated with the University of Missouri-Columbia — ECHO Autism Communities — has many resources available to help equip communities to support families, such as a guide for salons and barbershops about how challenging the experience of a haircut can be with a person with autism. (https://showmeecho.org/clinics/autism/)
Dr. William Wright, a Texas County Memorial Hospital physician, is the local ECHO Autism certified provider. That means he can not only diagnose autism, but has additional training to support individuals and families in general health and can direct to additional medical support in and near the county.
Another resource is Cynthia Ramsey, who as a family advocate has connections to countless clinicians and service providers across the state that can help provide information, answer questions and connect families with services. “If there are things I can share or point you to, I would be thrilled to do so,” she said. Her email address is CynthiaRRamsey@gmail.com