Autism Spectrum of Support was founded in October 2003 in Irvine, CA as the Orange County Asperger Support Group, by two fathers looking to provide support for local parents, children and adults with Aspergers, High Functioning Autism and PDD-NOS. Through their leadership and innovation, it quickly grew to encompass much of Orange County, and currently holds support group meetings in Newport Beach and Placentia. Monthly activity groups are now held throughout Orange County.

Along the way, as group members have moved out-of-state, our group has helped them establish support groups in their new area, using the model created by our original founders. There are currently "satellite" groups in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

As of March 2009, Autism Spectrum of Support serves over 500 Orange County, California families, representing close to 1400 members. Our members consist of either persons on the autism spectrum, their immediate family members or those involved in their daily care, such as guardians or grandparents.

Our support groups are a place where parents can gather to share resources and stories, and a place where children and spectrum adults can feel comfortable to "be themselves" among people who understand them. In addition to support groups, we have activity groups for all ages, including family activity groups. We have online discussion groups for parents and spectrum adults. We host educational opportunities and invite speakers to meetings no more than four times a year. 


                                   The Autism Spectrum of Support Mission:

ASOS provides hope and support for people with Aspergers, High Functioning Autism
and PDD-NOS and their families through meetings, online communities,
social events, skills training, education and advocacy.

We are committed to improving communication, understanding and acceptance
between the autistic and neurologically typical populations, and to ultimately
improving the quality of life for all.

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Our Board of Directors

Gina Cowley, Secretary

Gina is the mother of an adolescent with Aspergers and the wife of an adult with Aspergers. Her family has been participating members of the Aspergers Support Group since October 2007. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Irvine and was one of the first graduates of UCI’s Campuswide Honors Program. She lived and studied art and history in Madrid, Spain for a year and completed graduate work in design at Cal State Fullerton. Gina is fluent in Spanish, a former board member of a non-profit school, an independent business owner, and has more than five years of experience in business administration.

Barbara Forkish

Sara Gardner, President Emeritus

Sara served as President for two years, before moving to the Seattle, Washington area in the summer of 2009, where she currently resides with her son while he attends college. Prior to serving as President, Sara volunteered with the group almost from its inception, and is grateful for the friends and colleagues she has met through the years. Both Sara and her son have Asperger Syndrome.

Eric Kasum

Eric Kasum lives in Yorba Linda. He was a speechwriter for the White House (George Bush, Sr.) and members of the Cabinet and for President Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff, Edwin Meese. Prior to that, he wrote for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and CBS News. He is the lucky father of two teenage boys.

Nancy Kossky

Nancy Kossky is a writer, artist and photographer, was a founding member of TOCFAST (Training Our Community For Autism Safety Today), and is currently a board member of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Area Board XI. She has been a member of the group since November of 2006, is married and is the mother of an adolescent Aspergers child.

Activities Committee

Debora Smith, Activities Committee Director

About nine years ago Debora was given a gift in the form of a diagnosis for her son—high-functioning autism. And just as he has opened her eyes to different ways of being, Debora has made it her mission to share this “gift” with others. To talk with parents struggling to cope; to speak to child education classes at local universities about what it’s like with an autistic child in the classroom; to raise awareness of autism throughout our schools and community; and to share her stories—both triumphant and sad. When she and her son first discovered this group, it was love at first sight. Her latest mission: develop monthly activities for our kids and families to bring us closer together as a community.

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Autism Spectrum of Support

(714) 227-8819
ocasupport@gmail.com