From One Family’s Heart to a Journey of Advocacy & Community Building…

2004 | The Autism Network for Global Education and Lifelong Support (ANGELS) was founded, envisioned as an inclusive community-based center, serving children and adults living on the autism spectrum, along with their families and caregivers. While leading the efforts to develop programs and services at ANGELS, we were eager to share our wealth of knowledge and experience with families back in the Philippines where our journey started.

Under its current leadership, Autism Social Connection [formerly ANGELS] serves a diversity of needs at the heart of San Francisco’s community.

2008 | In response to the growing needs of bay area families and practitioners, Autism Hearts Foundation (AHF) was founded.  AHF began planning in 2008 for its development of services locally, recognized in 2014 as a nonprofit corporation.

2009 | Autism Hearts Philippines (AHPI), was founded in Manila, Philippines as a community-based center providing ‘wrap around’ support services including training and support to children and adults living on the spectrum.

2010 | Autism Hearts Foundation joined supporters and advocates from around the globe to celebrate the first ever International Autism Conference, convened by international experts with specializations that addressed the diversity needs of individuals with ASD. The conference raised awareness around the historically underrepresented needs of persons with ASD in the Philippines.

Families were joined by government, private sector, and international advocates from the World Health Organization (WHO) in calling for a national mandate to (1) reject the stigma associated with mental health in the Philippines, (2) to acknowledge and validate in a legislative context the rights of individuals with ASD to appropriate health care, effective programs and services, and (3) to cultivate sustainable, community-based support to rural communities and families.

2014-2015 | Autism Hearts Foundation welcomed its new Executive Director to the family and began AHF’s own comprehensive strategy planning in San Francisco!