The Autism Resource Foundation

The Autism Resource Foundation (ARF) was founded by Anthony Hale here in Phoenix, AZ in 2007. The foundation's goal is to provide resources and information to families and friends who have loved ones afflicted with Autism.

My name is Rob Waibel. I am the Chief Technology Officer and a close friend of Anthony. Anthony asked me to join ARF when he first got started and have been with him ever since. We know that in the face of adversity, people are able to accomplish things they never thought would be possible. We are all in this together and only together can we overcome the hold that autism has on our loved ones.

We believe that it all begins with the parents. Parents are and must be the driving force of our communities. The risks are too great and the issues too sacred to leave in the hands of those with outside interests.

We also believe that Autism is a treatable ailment. There are thousands of children that have improved dramatically and there many, many stories of recovery.

We hold these truths:

1. Belief breeds Inspiration
2. Inspiration leads to Hope
3. Hope drives Motivation
4. Motivation creates a desire to seek Knowledge
5. When Knowledge is applied, Change occurs

Our Motto is clear:

“Always Believe, Never Lose Faith and Keep Moving Forward.”

One of the projects I worked on is the Therapy Providers Program. It is a website that allows users to select the city where they live and lists the providers (approved by the state of AZ) for speech, occupational and physical therapies. As the ARF grows, I plan on expanding this to include all of North America.

This blog is a way for me to help and provide in site and I find it. There will be posts about our home site, www.AutismResourceFoundation.org, information we find, our Radio Show (Autism Talks every Sunday 5-6PM on KNFX 1100AM radio), as well thoughts about what is happening in the field of Autism Research.