Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must reside in the Greater Houston Area (in one of the following counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller), demonstrate a need for financial assistance and provide relevant information for the committee to review. Applications must be completed by the parent or legal guardian of the dependent. There is not an age requirement as long as the individual has a formal autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. If the individual is over the age of 18, you must provide legal documentation of guardianship for the dependent. Eligible programs/services include (but are not limited to): special needs camps or summer programs, music therapy, art therapy, inclusive fine arts programming, adaptive sports or therapeutic movement programs such as yoga therapy, adaptive dance, and adaptive swim lessons, therapeutic horseback riding (equine therapy), services for a special needs advocate or attorney (up to $1,000). Only one (1) service/program may be requested per application per recipient/dependent. Scholarships are only awarded once per calendar year to each selected recipient. This application is NOT for speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. Submissions for those therapies on this application will not be considered. Instead, you should complete the Tuition and Therapy Application. If you are seeking assistance for more than one dependent, a separate application must be submitted for each individual. Parent/Guardians must provide documentation of an ASD diagnosis. This may be in the form of a diagnostic assessment or report, copy of IEP, SSI or Medicaid determination letter, documentation from school district, or other similar documents. Review Process: The Program Committee reviews applications 3-4 times a year and selects a limited number of applicants to receive financial support scholarships. A member of the committee may contact you to request additional information or documentation, if needed. Applicant information remains confidential during the review process. Once a decision has been made regarding your application, a committee member will contact you at the e-mail address provided on your application. Award Acceptance Requirements: If you are selected to receive a scholarship, you will receive an award letter and an acceptance agreement, which must be read, signed, and returned, via email. You will also need to provide a detailed invoice for services/program, a thank you note, a photo of the scholarship recipient, a :30 video of the scholarship recipient, and grant permission for the KNOWAutism Foundation to use the scholarship recipient's first name, photographic likeness, and video likeness in its publications, social media, website, fundraising materials, and/or other media before any payments are distributed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please note: all payments will be made directly to the service provider or school on behalf of the scholarship recipient. Only one (1) service/program may be requested per application, per individual, per year.