Framingham autism alliance increases outreach to Latino families

The Framingham-based Autism Alliance of MetroWest, a program of Advocates Inc., has received a grant from the Foundation for MetroWest’s Fund for Families to hire a bilingual staff member to better meet the needs of Spanish-speaking families in the region. A new phone line with information and assistance in Spanish is now available at 508-628-6777. The grant has enabled the alliance to provide the Latino community with information about autism, educate families on the importance of early intervention for children on the autism spectrum, and launch and facilitate a Spanish-speaking support group for families living with autism. The alliance estimates that there are about 1,100 Latino families in the region who may be caring for a family member with autism but have little or no support.