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We had a very exciting November, meeting with members of the community!
We kicked off the holiday season with three holiday parties for families in Austin, Houston, and El Paso! Families got to meet with organizations serving the Autism community, play games and fun activities, and had the option to take photos with Santa.
We were also the partner recipient of Spark Learning’s 12th Annual Putt Fore Autism event at Peter Pan Mini-Golf! Thanks to Spark Learning and their generous sponsors, they raised $14,016.07 for Autism Society of Texas! Thank you so much to everyone who participated and to Spark Learning for your continuous support, you have made a HUGE impact.
We were also so grateful to have been chosen as one of the non-profit recipients of the Richard P. Slaughter & Associates Golf Tournament again, which took place at the beginning of the month! Since the Slaughter & Associates Golf Tournament began, they have raised over $750,000 for local non-profits and this year alone, they raised a whopping $65,000 to be split amongst the 4 non-profit recipients. Thank you so much to the entire Richard P. Slaughter & Associates team and their participating sponsors for the huge impact you have made on AST and our community!
Anna Sciarillo is one of our newest board members, joining us earlier this Fall, but we have worked with her in the advocacy space before she formally joined our board and we are so happy to have her! Read her interview below.
What is your connection to Autism?
When I was younger, my cousin was diagnosed with Autism, and watching his journey was my first introduction to the Autism community. Seeing the impact that support, compassion, and understanding could make inspired me to get involved and later become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Why did you decide to join the AST Board?
As a BCBA with over 10 years of experience, I’ve been closely involved in shaping advocacy efforts to expand access to ABA services across Texas, including the addition of Medicaid coverage for ABA. I’m passionate about using that experience to support broader, impactful initiatives, increase resources, and help create meaningful change for individuals with autism statewide.
What do you like most about AST or serving on the Board?
I really enjoy the collaboration and opportunity to work alongside individuals with diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. The variety of voices creates a dynamic environment where meaningful ideas come together to better support the autism community across Texas. I’m excited to continue learning from those around me and contributing my own experience to help drive impactful change.
We had a very exciting October, meeting with members of the community!
Autism Society of Texas was the beneficiary of Questing for Autism, which raised over $2400 for AST. Huge thank you to Redtigerpro & Aaron Bothne for hosting, as well as Alienware and Trader Joe’s for prizes.
We also had an amazing time with our Autistic adult & Thrive Parent groups recreation event at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center this Twilight Tuesday! Thank you so much to Superior HealthPlan and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for partnering with us for this great event, we so appreciate all of your support!
We had the opportunity to take part in multiple outreach event across Texas, including University of Texas’ “Supporting Every Step: Children’s Developmental Screening & Resource Fair”.
Also thanks in part to the incredible advocacy work of organizations and individuals in the Texas Autism community, the execution of Robert Roberson, an innocent Autistic man on death row in Texas, was halted! Courts will review new evidence showing his daughter died from illness, not abuse. Texas must ensure justice informed by science, disability awareness, and an understanding that Autistic behaviors should not be misjudged as guilt. Read more here from the Texas Tribune.
Jean Mayer is one of our newest board members, joining us earlier this Fall, and we are so excited to have her as part of our team! Read her interview below.
Why did you decide to join the AST Board?
I’m the parent of a 12-year-old son on the Autism spectrum, diagnosed at age three and a half. Becoming part of this world—one I never anticipated—completely changed my life’s trajectory and purpose. It catapulted me into advocacy, where I’ve committed myself to building systems that not only support individuals with Autism and their families, but do so sustainably and with equity at the center.
My journey began as a Family Faculty member for Texas Parent to Parent, training first- and second-year medical residents on the lived experience of parenting a child with disabilities through a trauma-informed and family-centered lens. From there, I expanded my advocacy into public education—running for and being elected to the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees, where I’ve served for six years, including as Chair of the Governmental and Community Relations Committee. In that role, I’ve helped shape local, state, and federal policy positions that directly affect students receiving special education services.
At the state level, I also serve on the Legislative Advisory Council (LAC) for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), setting legislative priorities that strengthen inclusion and access for students with disabilities. And through storytelling and peer connection, I co-created and co-host Moms Talk Autism, a leading podcast and parent resource platform dedicated to amplifying authentic, nuanced perspectives of Autism and disability.
Serving on the AST Board allows me to continue integrating policy, education, and community-based advocacy—connecting families’ lived experiences to the systemic change they deserve.
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What do you like most about AST or serving on the Board?
What I value most about serving on the AST Board is the opportunity to co-create advocacy with others who share the same deep commitment to inclusion, equity, and authentic representation.
I’ve participated in AST’s Advocacy Days at the Capitol, and I’m continually inspired by how the organization blends grassroots engagement with strategic policy work. The collaboration between AST and education leaders like myself allows us to align efforts that advance awareness, understanding, and tangible change.
Beyond my local work in Pflugerville ISD, I help lead a statewide network of trustees called Texas Trustees Advancing Special Education (TTASE)—a coalition of school board members who are also parents of students receiving special education services. Together with partners like AST, we work to promote meaningful inclusion, safeguard student rights, and amplify the voices of families across Texas. Through this work, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating Lunch & Learn sessions and presenting at the Texas Capitol and at the annual TASA | TASB Convention, helping bridge the gap between legislative understanding and lived experience in special education.
Through these collective efforts—whether through cross-sector collaboration, policy influence, or public education initiatives—I find the work deeply fulfilling. It’s an incredible privilege to be part of something that not only drives systemic change but leaves a sustainable legacy for future generations of Autistic individuals and their families.
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What is your mission and vision for AST and the Autism community?
My hope for the future […] in Texas is that we continue to move beyond awareness toward authentic inclusion—where belonging is not just promised but practiced. I want to see a Texas where individuals on the spectrum are not defined by deficits or systems, but by their humanity, strengths, and potential.
As a parent, policymaker, and advocate, I believe the most transformative progress happens when lived experience is trusted as expertise. By continuing to connect those experiences to action—in our schools, our healthcare systems, and our legislature—we can ensure that every individual and family impacted by autism feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.
At the Autism Society of Texas, we understand that accessing food and benefits like SNAP can be stressful and overwhelming — especially for families supporting a loved one with Autism. Our goal is to make this process easier by connecting you with helpful, reliable resources that meet your individual or family needs.
Whether you’re looking for immediate food assistance, support applying for SNAP, or help finding options that meet special dietary needs, we’re here to support you.
Need Help Navigating Resources?
Our team offers free, personalized support through our Navigation & Resource Program. We can help you understand eligibility, complete applications, or connect you with local food providers.
Phone: 512-479-4199
Email: info@
Take Action: Protect Autism Services
We also invite you to advocate for the reauthorization of the Autism CARES Act — a critical federal law that helps fund services, research, and coordinated care for the Autism community.
Please take a moment to contact your representatives and show your support:
Take Action Here
Understanding SNAP and Local Food Assistance
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits to help low-income households buy food. If you’re unsure how to apply, check your balance, or navigate changes to your benefits, these resources can help:
- Texas Health and Human Services – SNAP Information
- FindHelp.org – Search by ZIP code for food pantries and services
- Feeding America – Locate your nearest food bank
If you have questions about eligibility or need help with the application process, our team can assist you through our Navigation Program.
Major Food Banks in Texas
Below are key regional food banks across the state. Each offers services such as emergency food assistance, mobile pantries, and child nutrition programs. Visit their websites or call to learn what’s available in your area:
- Central Texas Food Bank – Austin & surrounding areas
- North Texas Food Bank – Dallas/Fort Worth
- Houston Food Bank – Greater Houston area
- San Antonio Food Bank – San Antonio and South Central Texas
- East Texas Food Bank – Tyler and surrounding areas
- Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley – South Texas
- West Texas Food Bank – Midland, Odessa, and West Texas
If you’re unsure which food bank serves your area, contact us and we’ll help you find the right one.
Food Support for Children with Special Dietary Needs
Some families need more than just access to food — they need options that are gluten-free, allergy-safe, or appropriate for medically restricted diets. The programs below aim to meet these needs. Availability may vary, so we encourage reaching out to each organization directly:
- Allergy Friendly Choices – Houston, TX
Provides gluten-free and allergy-friendly foods through partnerships with WHAM and the Houston Food Bank.
- Food Allergy Allies – Houston, TX
Delivers allergy-safe foods to local pantries, supporting families managing food allergies. - West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) – Houston, TX
Includes designated days to serve families with food allergies or celiac disease. - Houston Food Bank – Houston, TX
Offers allergen-free food options during regular distribution. - Central Texas Food Bank – Austin and surrounding areas
Child nutrition programs such as BackPack and School Pantry. Special dietary needs may be accommodated with notice. - The Johnson Center for Child Health & Development – Austin, TX
Provides nutrition counseling and feeding support for children with Autism and complex dietary needs.
We are continually adding to this list. If you’re looking for resources in a specific region or have questions about dietary accommodations, reach out and we’ll do our best to connect you with appropriate support.
Autism Society of Texas Statement on Acetaminophen Lawsuit
October 28, 2025
The Autism Society of Texas affirms that current scientific evidence does not support claims that Tylenol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy causes Autism. Autism is complex – influenced by genetic, biological, and environmental factors – not a single cause or product.
In Texas, the real needs of Autistic individuals and families are urgent: schools are closing, attendant wages remain unlivable, teachers are leaving in high numbers, and close to 195,000 people remain on waitlists for home and community-based services. These are challenges that demand our collective attention and action.
The recently filed lawsuit by the State of Texas, alleging companies failed to warn consumers about “possible risks” of acetaminophen use in pregnancy, sets a dangerous precedent. Suing based on unproven, correlational studies risks turning public health into politics, undermining evidence-based medicine, and eroding trust in safe, essential treatments. This lawsuit sends a harmful message that mothers should be blamed for complex developmental outcomes and deepens previous stigmas.
The Autism Society of Texas remains focused on advancing understanding, inclusion, and support for all Autistic individuals and families. Lawsuits like this divert attention and resources that could be better used to provide much needed support services, stronger schools, and fair pay for those who care for our Autism and disability community.
Please contact Jacquie Benestante for additional information: Jacquie@texasautismsociety.org or 512-479-4199, Ext. 4
12/19/23, Livingston, Texas: Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project
We are profoundly relieved that the State of Texas has halted the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson, an innocent Autistic man who has spent over two decades on death row for a tragedy that was not a crime. The stay and remand granted today recognize what we have long known – that compelling new medical and scientific evidence shows Robert’s daughter died from illness, not abuse, and that his Autism was tragically misunderstood by all involved, leading to assumptions of his guilt.
This decision offers a vital opportunity for the courts to finally review the full truth, informed by current medical understanding and awareness of Autism. No one should face execution – or conviction – because their disability was misread as guilt.
We urge Texas officials to ensure a thorough, fair reexamination of Robert’s case and to take this moment to address the systemic failures that put people with developmental disabilities at grave risk of wrongful conviction. Today’s stay is not the end of Robert’s fight for justice, but it is a crucial step toward it.
This September, advocacy and information have kept our team busy.
Jacquie & Adriana have done a number of interviews for TV and radio on related to Tylenol/Autism, Roberson and the Death Penalty (including a virtual education event cohosted by ASA & the Innocence Project), as well as the tragic event in El Paso where a teen eloped from school and was hit and killed on a freeway several miles away.
We held a virtual Disaster Preparedness education event in Spanish with the September 26th Project, which was created to honor Autism activist Feda Almaliti & her son, Mu, who passed away in a house fire in California, and works to ensure families are prepared in the event of an emergency
We also supported Autism Society of America’s Swim Safety Program and provided families with resources and sensory kits! Thank you so much to Dell Children’s for funding this important, life saving program.
Jacquie also worked with ACC Global Learning Students to help them understand Autism and how they can be a positive impact in their community. ACC Global Learning Students will be having a fundraising event for AST on October 1st at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Austin!
12/19/23, Livingston, Texas: Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project
Robert Roberson, who was diagnosed with Autism only after his wrongful conviction, is facing execution in Texas on October 16, 2025. His death sentence stems from critical misinterpretations of his behavior during his daughter’s illness – misjudgments that have led to a tragic miscarriage of justice.
Organizations and individuals are fighting to stop this miscarriage of justice. Stay informed on what is happening – updates will be added here regularly.
- ACTION ALERT – Take action now!
- (09/24/25) Watch our YouTube presentation cohosted by Autism Society of America and the Innocence Project – with presenters Connie Kasari, PhD • Natalie Montfort, PhD • Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD • Matthew Belmonte, PhD
📢 Rally this Saturday, 10/4/25, at the Texas State Capitol
Join us at the Texas Capitol (South Steps) at 1 PM. Speakers include the Autism Society of Texas, legislators, and advocates, coordinated by The Innocence Project.
👉Learn more about the Robert Roberson case, Innocence Project
👉 Read our Executive Director’s Op-Ed, Austin American-Statesman, or read text below
👉 Watch our video: Robert Roberson, Autism & Injustice with Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD, Connie Kasari, PhD, Natalie Montfort, PhD, and Matthew Belmonte, PhD.
👉Robert Roberson’s legal battle intensifies as execution date looms, WFAA – DFW
👉Autism advocates urge Texas to halt execution of Robert Roberson, KERA -Texas Public Radio
👉Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson abandons clemency plea and calls for new trial ahead of his execution, The Daily Mail
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10/1/25-Austin American-Statesman- Article by our Executive Director, Jacquie Benestante
Autism fed into his wrongful conviction. Don’t execute Robert Roberson
Texas plans to execute a man whose autism was misunderstood as guilt. There’s still time to stop a tragic miscarriage of justice.
Jacquie Benestante, October 1, 2025
Autism has been much in the news lately. As executive director of the Autism Society of Texas, I hope this increased awareness helps us better serve the needs of people with autism and recognize their important gifts. At the same time, however, people with autism continue to face a lack of understanding that can have profoundly negative consequences, particularly when they come into contact with the criminal justice system. Robert Roberson’s case is the most extreme example of this problem.
Roberson is not only autistic, he is an innocent man who is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16. From everything I know about Roberson’s case, I believe that his then-undiagnosed autism played a central role in his wrongful arrest, conviction and death sentence in connection with the 2002 death of his chronically ill toddler daughter, Nikki.
Overwhelming medical and scientific evidence proves that Nikki died because of severe pneumonia, exacerbated by dangerous, improperly prescribed medications. Her death was tragic, but it was not a crime, and Roberson did not cause it.
As the Autism Society of Texas and the Autism Society of America wrote in a recent open letter to Texas authorities urging them to stop Roberson’s execution: “A lack of awareness and understanding about (his) developmental disability seems to have been unwittingly held against him and greatly contributed to his wrongful conviction and death sentence.”
When Roberson brought Nikki to the only emergency room in rural Palestine, Texas, and when law enforcement interviewed him, they perceived his lack of outward displays of emotion as a manifestation of “guilt.” In reality, this was a product of his autism.
Hospital staff and police officers described Roberson as “odd,” “nonchalant,” “unemotional,” “detached” and “uncaring.” The jurors heard these damning characterizations, but were unaware of Roberson’s autism, or that his outward demeanor masked intense distress. That misperception, together with the prosecution’s use of the now-debunked “Shaken Baby Syndrome” hypothesis and no review of Nikki’s medical history, put an innocent man on death row.
Years after his trial, Roberson was finally evaluated by a qualified expert and received an autism diagnosis. This delay in diagnosis is frustratingly common, particularly for people like Roberson who grew up in poverty and had unstable family circumstances. But even as a child, Roberson was identified as having “special needs,” including a speech delay and other impairments consistent with his eventual diagnosis. His speech impairments and repetitious stammers are evident in a recent video interview published by this newspaper.
On Sept. 24, the Autism Society of Texas co-hosted a panel discussion entitled “Robert Roberson, Autism and Injustice.” Four renowned experts explained how people with autism are at an elevated risk for wrongful conviction and excessive punishment when they come into contact with the criminal justice system. Just as in Roberson’s case, people with autism often “shut down” when faced with extreme circumstances and overwhelming emotions, leading to a rush to judgment against them and harmful assumptions about how they may be feeling or thinking in the moment.
Brian Wharton was the lead detective who investigated Nikki’s death, interrogated Roberson and testified against him at trial. Wharton has now come to understand how Roberson’s autism, and not any criminal culpability, was responsible for the seemingly “flat” way he presented himself during their interactions as if he had no idea how serious his daughter’s condition was. Wharton has also come to believe, unequivocally, that Roberson is innocent, and that Texas made a terrible mistake in his case.
Our justice system must work to better serve those with autism and prevent injustices. I hope that we are moving in the right direction as a society. But for Robert Roberson, time is running out to prevent irreparable harm. Texas must not allow this execution to proceed.
Jacquie Benestante is the executive director of the Autism Society of Texas.
We had a busy August!
This month, Jacquie has been distributing sensory kits to nonprofits and agencies across the Greater Austin area that support Autistic children and adults. So far, kits have been provided to Brady’s Bridge, VELA, and a couple of Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authorities (LIDDAs). We also provided kits to both the Austin Police Department (APD) and Austin Fire Department (AFD) during a Community Outreach Day hosted by APD earlier this year! Each kit includes noise-reducing headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses, and stickers — all thoughtfully chosen to support sensory regulation. We’ve heard from both parents and Autistic adults that having a bag labeled “Autism Society” has helped increase acceptance and understanding in public settings, especially during challenging moments. We’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to our incredible community partners who made the Sensory Kit Program possible! A huge thank you to the Atlas Project, whose generous fundraising efforts made it possible for us to provide these kits at no cost. We’re also deeply grateful to Project Genius for donating warehouse space to store the kits, and to Greenleaf NCC, where Autistic adult participants carefully assembled each one with care and intention while working at Project Genius! Thanks to the support of these amazing organizations, we’re creating moments of comfort, spreading acceptance, and strengthening connections across our community.
On August 20, Jacquie presented to the incoming 2025–2026 LEND cohort, alongside several Central Texas organizations that serve individuals with disabilities. She shared how AST supports the autism community through education, advocacy, and resources. Each year, AST also provides training to the LEND cohort on how the Texas legislative session works—and how to effectively advocate for policy change that benefits the disability community. ACT LEND is a 9-month leadership training program for graduate students, family members, and self-advocates. It combines hands-on experience, interdisciplinary learning, and mentorship to build future leaders in the fields of autism and developmental disabilities. We’re proud to support ACT LEND and look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership!
On August 21 we had our SATS presentation, “ABA for Teens and Adults: Skills for Lifelong Learning”, where we dove into the benefits of ABA across the lifespan. Thank you so much to our presenters: AST Board President, Rany Thommen Moser, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, Dr. Laura Estep-Assistant Professor of Practice, Dept. of Special Education at UT Austin and Clinical Director at ASPIRE, and Jessica Quintanilla, BCBA, LBA from Central Texas Autism Center.