Who we are. At Autism Community Network, we are passionate about empowering families and caregivers to be the principal advocates, caregivers, and champions in their children’s lives. Our mission is to provide support, education and resources to those affected by autism. We strive to make a difference in the lives of autistic individuals and their families by providing educational resources, support groups, and community events. Our goal is to ensure that those affected by autism get the support and resources they need to lead a successful life. Our organization. Autism Community Network (ACN) was established as a 501(c)(3) in 2008 by a consortium of health care funders concerned about the lack of child development services available to children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This initiative was led by Palmer Moe, former executive manager of the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. ACN addresses the diagnostic, therapeutic, educational, and recreational needs of families impacted by autism living in South Texas. Our mission. Our mission is to maximize the potential of children with autism by providing early diagnosis for those with limited access and educating and empowering the community to support them. Elephant-sized values. You may have noticed our larger-than-life mascot. As an autism nonprofit dedicated to forming relationships and nurturing the wellness of the autism ecosystem, we thought of nothing more fitting than the elephant. Elephants live in tightly bonded herds, also known as “packs” or “parades.” The herd, led by the oldest and largest matriarch, can consist of up to 100 individual elephants. Known for their high intellect and ability to store memories, elephants have been observed to display signs of emotions such as playfulness, joy, anger, and grief. These beautiful giants communicate through subsonic rumbles, which travel through the earth under their feet more quickly than through the air above them. Interestingly, elephants receive the rumbling messages through the skin on their feet and trunks, indicating highly attuned sensory systems. When a baby calf is born, the entire herd helps to raise and protect their young. ACN believes our commitment to holistic community support mirrors this natural phenomenon, and we are happy to take cues from our mammalian friends! Read More Team Our team. Tiffany Fresher Chief Executive Officer Read More Adrienne Gaither, OTR, CSIPT, C/NDT Chief Programs Officer & Occupational Therapist Read More Teresa Camacho Medical Billing Manager Read More Gabriel Gonzalez, OTD, OTR/L Bilingual Occupational Therapist Read More Jarrod Purkeypile, MA CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist Read More Angela Sanchez-Concha Caregiver Coordinator Read More Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR Chief Operating Officer Read More Cortney John, MA Chief Development & Outreach Officer Read More Casey Garza, MPA Community Engagement Coordinator Read More Cathy Kersey Accounting Manager Read More Arjai Ramos Front Desk Coordinator Read More Anna Paola Smith, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Read More Alma Patricia del Angel, MD Chief Medical Officer & Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician Read More Vanessa Amaya Referral Coordinator Read More Noelia Cheatham Billing Specialist Read More Lisa Martinez-Jimenez Board Certified Behavior Analyst Read More Nicolle Reyna, MS CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist Read More Reach out. Each family's journey with autism is AUsomely unique. Let our staff walk beside you on your pathway. Start Now Our board of directors. OFFICERS Joshua Behnke - President Behnke Legal Consulting, PLLC Denise Garcia - Vice President Texas Partners Bank Matthew Occhipinti - Treasurer Northwestern Mutual Greg Hanson, DO, FAAP - Secretary Southwest Children's Cente r MEMBERS Wendy Faldet HEB Beth Jones Assistant Superintendent - SAISD Manny Nsien President and CEO of Superior Living Foundation Ursula Pari Former KSAT 12 News Anchor & CEO of San Antonio Polo Club Michael Thompson Merrill Lynch Kristen Williams, PhD Executive Director of Disability Services - SAISD, Retired Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice Advisory Committee. We're excited to introduce our Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice Advisory Committee. This committee, including neurodiverse individuals of all stripes, serves to provide our board and our staff with ongoing guidance and support from a position of lived experience to assure our consistent alignment with strengths-based and neurodiversity-affirming practice.

< Back Alma Patricia del Angel, MD Chief Medical Officer & Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician Dr. A Patricia Del Angel graduated from medical school at the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas. She did her pediatric residency training at Lincoln Hospital and Mental Health Center/New York Medical College, where she also served as chief resident. In addition, she completed a fellowship in child development-behavioral pediatrics at King Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, and received her specialist certification in infant mental health from the Early Childhood Center at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Dr. Del Angel has most recently served as a pediatrician at People’s Clinic in Austin and as a developmental-behavioral specialist in the pediatric residency program at UTMB Austin. Previously, Dr. Del Angel was the clinical director of the Southwest Area Children’s Hub in Los Angeles for thirteen years. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Del Angel is the proud aunt to two neurodivergent children. ap.delangel@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000

< Back Adrienne Gaither, OTR, CSIPT, C/NDT Chief Programs Officer & Occupational Therapist Adrienne Gaither has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years. She received her degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and began her pediatric therapy career, eventually gaining experience in every setting available for the provision of children’s Occupational Therapy services. Adrienne has had the opportunity to serve as a member of ACN’s team since 2009. She is a Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy Accredited Practitioner, supporting families impacted by autism through dyadic coaching and a part of ACN’s interdisciplinary diagnostic team that uses a strength-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach to address the unique presentation of the child and family. Adrienne also holds specialty pediatric certification in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) and has completed advanced training in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) for children. Locally, Adrienne had the privilege of serving on the planning team for the development of Morgan’s Wonderland; in particular, contributing recommendations for the Sensory Village portion of the park. In addition to her work with ACN, Adrienne is a part-time Program Director and Sensory Consultant with Kinetic Kids, Inc., a local non-profit agency providing sports and recreation activities for children and teenagers with special needs. When she is not working, Adrienne enjoys life with her husband, 2 children, and 2 dogs, running, singing, and traveling. adrienne@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000

< Back Anna Paola Smith, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Anna Paola Smith attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received her BA in Psychology and her Masters degree in Social Work. She has had the opportunity to work with children and families in the school, hospital, and clinical settings. Anna Paola's interests lie in family system and how the development of one child may impact the entire family unit. After living in Austin for 6 years, she relocated to San Antonio with her husband, Daniel. During her free time she enjoys creating recipes for her Paleo-based Instagram account, exploring the culinary scene in San Antonio with her family and friends, and living an active, healthy lifestyle. anna.paola@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000 ext. 2010

< Back Angela Sanchez-Concha Caregiver Coordinator Angela Sanchez-Concha received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Our Lady of The Lake University (OLLU). She has worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism since 2010. Angela was born in Lima, Peru and enjoys to visiting family every opportunity possible. During her free time, she enjoys making memories with her husband and three children. angela.sanchez@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000 ext. 5005

< Back Jarrod Purkeypile, MA CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist Jarrod Purkeypile began his speech pathology journey after earning two unrelated undergraduate degrees from Southwestern Adventist University and volunteering for two years in South America. In 2014, he completed his master's degree from the University of Kansas and moved to Oklahoma City to join their only bilingual pediatric therapy clinic. After the birth of his first son, Jarrod and his family moved to San Antonio, where he worked for 8 years in the home health industry, before finding ACN in 2024. Jarrod has experience working in schools, clinics, homes, daycares, summer camps, children's gyms, and from home via telehealth. His talents include silly voices, juggling, imaginative play, cartwheels, storytelling, and more. Outside of work, Jarrod keeps himself busy with his 3 lively children and his beautiful wife, Eileen. His home is always full of soccer balls, Lego robotics, tabletop artwork, dark chocolate, and blissful noise. He enjoys dates at the Tobin, watching cartoon movies, playing sports, and the occasional free moment. jarrod.purkeypile@acn-sa.org 210-435-1000

< Back Nicolle Reyna, MS CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist Nicolle Reyna holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Texas Woman's University, a BA in Psychology from the University of the Incarnate Word, and a special education teaching certificate from Region 20. Nicolle was a special education teacher for 13 years in Edgewood ISD and San Antonio ISD where she developed a passion for helping students reach their maximum potential with the mindset that ALL children can learn. Prior to ACN, Nicolle worked in Early Childhood Intervention ( ECI) for 10 years where she enjoyed meeting and working with so many wonderful children and their families. Nicolle is passionate about empowering parents and caregivers with the tools they need to help their child learn and grow since they know them best! When Nicolle is not devoting her time to her career, she can be found cheering on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (fan by marriage) and the San Antonio Spurs with her husband, daughter, and two dog children, Theo and Bentley. Nicolle is a proud mom of a 21 year old neurodivergent daughter and loves to face time across the miles with her 5 year old neurodivergent niece. nicolle@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000

< Back Casey Garza, MPA Community Engagement Coordinator Casey believes that meaningful connections are at the heart of every strong community. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about bringing people together, building collaborative partnerships, and creating opportunities for individuals and families to feel supported and engaged. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Cameron University before completing her Master of Public Administration at Lamar University, combining a love for strategic communication with a deep commitment to serving others. As Community Engagement Coordinator at Autism Community Network, Casey is honored to help foster a more inclusive and connected community for neurodivergent children, youth, and their families. Whether she is building community partnerships, planning events, sharing stories, or welcoming new families, she is passionate about helping others feel seen, supported, and empowered while advancing ACN's mission of creating opportunities for every family to thrive. casey@acn-sa.org 210-435-1000

< Back Lisa Martinez-Jimenez Board Certified Behavior Analyst Lisa M. Martinez-Jimenez holds her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Ball State University, completed her BACB coursework from the University of North Texas and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Violence Prevention & Intervention Certificate from Our Lady of the Lake University. She has worked within the field of ABA for over 20 years and is dedicated to providing quality applied behavior analytic services. She has experience developing and providing ABA services with children, adolescents and adults within the home, clinic, school, and community settings. Her roles at ACN involve diagnostic assessments, autism screenings, parent/family coaching, behavioral consulting, PACT, and organizational leadership within ACN’s Autism Care Pathway Program. lisa.martinez@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000

< Back Gabriel Gonzalez, OTD, OTR/L Bilingual Occupational Therapist Dr. Gabriel González obtained his Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. He has experience working with families in hospital and clinical settings. Gabriel's desire to help underserved families led him to complete an internship at Autism Community Network, where he conducted research with Latino families and was hired as the first bilingual occupational therapist. Gabriel's dedication to helping families aims to build trust and empowerment with the families we serve. During his free time, he enjoys working out, trying new food spots, learning new skills, participating in outdoor activities, or traveling back home to visit family and friends. gabriel@acn-sa.org 210-435-1000