Autism Parent Network is a nonprofit organization that aims at creating safe environments of support and resources for families affected by autism spectrum disorder. We are in the City of Richmond, California. We host live support groups in our community, as well as virtually.
Our founder and facilitators are parents of children with ASD, from different cultures and backgrounds; they have an in-depth understanding of the experiences and dynamics that develop in families where autism is an everyday reality of life.
We offer support groups in English and in Spanish and we can tailor groups in other languages to better serve specific communities. Our support groups are free.
Our Mission
To create safe environments of emotional support for families of people with ASD and to provide information about services available to them in our communities.
Our Vision
Empowered families of people with ASD that learn to protect their mental health, develop healthy coping strategies, and make informed decisions, when confronted with the challenges of living with a loved one on the autism spectrum.
Our Values
- 1. Kindness and Acceptance: Every person contending with a loved one on the autism spectrum deserves to have a safe place where to unload their emotions and speak freely about their experience, in an environment of support, kindness, acceptance.
- 2. Inclusion: Families and individuals that speak other languages and/or have different cultural or social backgrounds, deserve to find a place where to share, discuss, get support, understand autism, and gain access to resources that are available to them.
- 3. Respect: Every person deserves to have their opinion heard in a non-judgmental environment, and their testimonies kept private, regardless of their values, language, education, or background.
- 4. Collaboration: No one should have to contend alone with the challenges of ASD. There is strength in working together toward solutions. No one is a sole expert in the subject matter of autism; each experience is unique and valuable and contributes to a greater knowledge of the group.
About our Executive Director
Alejandra Montiel is a National Board-Certified Medical Interpreter and Translator. A native Venezuelan, she has lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 25 years. Alejandra is the parent of two young adults, one of whom was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three. He is currently attending Los Medanos College.
Alejandra works at Kaiser Richmond Medical Center. She lives in the City of Richmond, California with her mother and their three rescue dogs.