Texas fathers educate themselves, others about autism

Six fathers of children with autism in north Texas, have teamed up to help themselves and other fathers who have children with autism, the Dallas Morning News reports.

One member Kent Potter of Allen, Texas, created autismspot.com to reach out to other fathers through the Web site.

"There's so very little out there for us," Potter said. "I had access to the best medical care and my wife was attending these women's groups. I started looking around and said, 'Hey, where are all the dads?' "

No topic is off limits for the men when they meet.

"We learn from each other and trade information on just about everything; how to cope with finances, strengthen and protect our marriages is very important," said Joey Barton of Frisco, who has a 5-year-old son with autism.

"Marriage, finances, new therapies, nothing is scripted," Barton said. "We just sit and talk about whatever comes up. No one is judging you; it has created some really close friendships."

Jay Espaillat of Dallas said that having a child with autism in the family can cause lots of stress so the men learn to rely on each other.

"We can share our feelings, concerns or worries about our finances, the impact it's having on our marriage and the general worry that comes with caring for your family," he said.