Grand Lake Autism Support Network | Support and Information

Gina Dollarhide, facilitator of the Grand Lake Autism Support Network (G.L.A.S.N.)

My name is Gina Dollarhide. My son, Carter, was diagnosed with high functioning autism in February of 2002. In 2005, his diagnosis was changed to Asperger's Disorder. Carter is now 11 years old. It has only been 6 years, but has seemed like an eternity. Since an actual diagnosis was not given until Carter was almost 6, a lot of time passed that seemed fruitless. Carter was in an early school program for the developmentally delayed at age 3, but not knowing exactly what we were dealing with made every day seem more difficult. I am often asked, "How did you know?" My answer . . . a mother just knows. I knew from a very early age that there was something different about Carter. I strongly believe that my father suffered from this same disability, but was never accurately diagnosed. This is part of why I am so passionate about helping not only my son, but others affected by this devastating disability.

I have been married to Mike Dollarhide for 19 years. We have 2 beautiful children, Callie, 17 and Carter, 11. A sincere compassion for others has been the driving force for me to form this group in the Grand Lake area. Our family knows first hand what it is like to feel the pain associated with having a family member suffer from some sort of disability. Faith in God and family have been the two most important factors in facing every day. Just as we have days that seem hopeless, the days when we see that one small accomplishment for Carter, greatly outweigh the hopeless ones. It is my hope that G.L.A.S.N. will help educate those who may not understand, as well as strengthen those that understand all too well. I am so thankful to be a part of Grand Lake Autism Support Network.

Christi Kellogg, founder and board president of The Hope Foundation.

Like most parents of a child with autism, Christi realized early on that something was wrong with her son, Landon, but it wasn't until he was almost two that she and her husband received the devastating diagnosis of autism. They had suspicions that their son was autistic, but had hoped that it would turn out to be something far less serious. After grieving for a few months, it was then that Christi realized that crying wasn't going to do her son any good. She searched around for any information that could used to help her son, but kept coming up short. In Muskogee, where they live, there were few resources to help. She knew that there had to be other parents in the area facing the same thing. That is when she decided to start a parent support group. In September of 2005, the Muskogee Autism Support network was formed. They had about 8 families represented at the first meeting and it has continued to grow ever since.

This network provided support for a growing number of families, but it didn't solve the problem of finding services for her son and the other children in Muskogee and surrounding areas. She has since created The Hope Foundation in an effort to address this serious lack of treatment providers in not only Muskogee, but most of rural eastern Oklahoma. While the organization is still in its infancy, she has lots of goals and dreams for helping Eastern Oklahoma families affected by autism, and will not stop until we have achieved our goals. I am proud to be a part of this group.

Grand Lake Autism Support Network is a branch of The Hope Foundation. HOPE was created to improve the quality of life of children and families in Eastern Oklahoma, affected by autism spectrum disorders. We aim to provide information, support and hope to families affected by autism. The Hope Foundation currently provides local support networks for families and caregivers and informative workshops to help families cope withthe everyday struggles of raising a child with autism. We are also working to find ways to expand access to qualified treatment providers, experienced in providing services to children with autism and related disorders, especially in rural areas.

We welcome you to our websites and hope you will find them to be both helpful and informative.