Our History

The Columbus Autism Network (CAN) was founded by three moms who needed to connect with other parents to talk about autism and how it has impacted our lives. What started out as a "support group" has grown to be a place for families to share, connect, learn, and grow.

Heather Baker, mother of daughter Sydney, needed to learn how to navigate the autism world and all of the supports available. 

“There aren't as many girls with Autism so it was important to find other parents with daughters. As a teacher, I understood the educational supports pretty well, but lacked an understanding of personal supports outside of school. As a result of networking and socializing with Christine and Nancy, the idea of a social group came to be. We all needed to be connected in so many way and the Columbus Autism Network has provided that outlet. “

Christine Belviy Keller, mother of son William, needed support outside of my own family to navigate through this new world of autism that I had never experienced before. 

“My son was diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 6. I was lost, knew absolutely nothing about autism, and moved to a new place all in the same year of my son being diagnosed. Thankfully, I met Heather (who was one of William’s teachers for 3 years) and later met Nancy through our school systems educational support group. My journey led me to become an advocate for other families through my work with the Autism Society of Indiana, and later pursued a master’s in special education.”

Nancy Hiquet, mother of Kam, was feeling overwhelmed and alone when her son was diagnosed. Meeting other parents who were going through similar experiences helped her to feel more comfortable and confident in her new role as a special needs parent. She knew other people must have felt the same way too. Starting the Network with her friends allowed her to reach out to others in the community and help them make these important connections as well. 

The three of us together supported each other, learned from each other, found and shared supports, and quickly became community leaders for other parents. We are still learning and growing at each stage, so we don't claim to be experts, but we will support families, educate our community, and gather as much information as we can for our families.