InRegister's Autism story inspires community, helps spread the word

Welcome to Autism Awareness Month! This month's InRegister features a cover story  on resources for Autism Spectrum Disorders across the capital region (page 20), with a profile on BRSHF's President, Colleen Waguespack, and her son Christopher, who was enrolled in our autism program from 2007-2010. When the issue hit stands last week, Jenna, who works in our front office, got the following emotional phone call:

"I got a call from a lady who had read the InRegister article, and she was just choked up on the phone. She has a daughter with a similar diagnosis and was interested in our services. She was amazed by Colleen and Christopher's story, she read it 3 times in a row. She was impressed at the progress Christopher made here, and was just so glad she read the article, because she didn't know about us before."

As a non-profit clinic, it can be hard for us to get the word out about our services at all, much less to paint an accurate picture of the incredibly rare, comprehensive, effective programs we offer, especially in the area of Autism. Many people don't realize that we accept 5 different types of private insurance, in addition to Medicaid and offering financial assistance, so we exist for people of all incomes, not just the medically under-served. Autism is almost an epidemic and the resources in our community are scarce, but as the article showed, there IS hope for people living "on the Spectrum" in and around Baton Rouge. This April, we hope to reach more people with that message.

If you have a loved one with needs that BRSHF doesn't meet, we encourage you to contact our friends at the Resource Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, at Families Helping Families.