WESTWOOD - Approximately 200 parents of autistic children from the area will head to the State House tomorrow to remind legislators how necessary their support is to the well-being of autistic children.

For the past six years members of the Westwood-based Family Autism Center have visited the State House during April - Autism Awareness Month.

"We try to let the legislators know of our need for their support," said Nancy Borr of Sharon, a staff member at the center, and mother of an autistic child.

The Family Autism Center serves more than 300 families throughout South Norfolk Country, and the communities of Needham, Newton, Weston and Wellesley; by providing support groups, educational programs, respite care and other needed services.

It is part of the South Norfolk County Association for Retarded Citizens. It has a lending library and a quarterly newsletter on-site, and offers field trips and special programs to autistic children of center members off-site .

For many, the center is a lifeline of help, acceptance, and support.

"When my daughter was young, it was so helpful to meet other people whose children also had been diagnosed with autism," said Maryellen Royer of Westwood. "When she could take part in the services the center offered, it was great for her and great for us, and the support has just been fabulous."

Members of the center were especially helpful several years ago to Royer's family when she said she was deciding to place her daughter, now 14, in a residential school.

"The center gives you a sense of community," she explained. "You can have very good friends who are sympathetic but they really don't know. With parents from the center, we can usually end up crying together or laughing together - it can go either way - just having that is a godsend."

Royer will be one of those going to the State House next week.

"We want to let our legislators know that these kids are here and (legislators') votes can make a difference in their lives," she said.

Ellen Barnett of Canton, whose 18-year-old son Adam has autism, said the center was extremely helpful to her family too when Adam was younger.

"It was very comforting to have a place where you could go and where the staff was very, very nice and made him happy that he was being accepted," she said. "You're just so isolated when you have a child with a handicap, especially if he doesn't look like he has one."

"It was a resource that was valuable," her husband, Leonard, said. "The people there were just helpful and friendly, especially in the early years when you don't know how to cope with it."

The Borr Family

When their son, Jonathan, was born with autism 13 years ago, the Borrs had few places to turn for support and help.

"At the beginning we felt so alone and isolated," said Nancy Borr. "People don't realize how difficult it can be."

Once he became mobile - crawling then walking - Jonathan had to be watched every minute.

He is described as an engaging and active youngster, able to communicate and perform simple tasks, but unable to read, write, or modulate his own behavior.

"Even the simple tasks of daily living skills such as zippering his coat, or washing himself, can take years to learn," explained Nancy.

For the past four years Jonathan has lived at the New England Center for Children in Southborough. His parents visit him one weeknight and take him out to dinner. He returns home on Sundays for an overnight.

Jonathan was a day student for three years before switching to a residential program.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder characterized by severe communicative, social, and behaviorial abnormalities. These characteristics may be accompanied by severe physical ones, such as unusual responses to sensory stimuli, chronic gastrointestinal problems, low muscle tone and seizures.

The number of people diagnosed with autism is growing.

Nancy and Michael Borr said they know of 20 families in Sharon alone with autistic children. Michael noted that in 1996 it was thought 1 out of 500 would be diagnosed with autism.

He said in 2003 that figure is 1 in 250.

And according to Michael and Nancy, a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control in 2000 claimed the incidence rate for autism spectrum disorders may be as high as 1 in 149.

Joining 70-or-so other families with autistic children, the Borrs helped launch the Family Autism Center in 1996.

Once a month, Nancy and a few other adults takes up to eight autistic young men to sites like Boston's Museum of Science or Battleship Cove in Fall River.

"We call ourselves the explorers," she said, "I've always had a love of helping others."

She and Pat Fales of Sharon, a teacher, take another group of 11 autistic youths bowling once a week.