PHOENIX — Making sure children with autism are diagnosed as early as possible – that’s the goal of the Gentry Foundation for Autism.

ABC15 recently spoke with the founder, Dr. Joseph Gentry, who is also a pediatric behavioral specialist and board-certified school psychologist. Dr. Gentry says while each case is different, typically, children who get diagnosed earlier will have access to more services and resources which could make a lifetime of difference.

“The average age in Arizona of diagnosis is 4.7 years,” Dr. Gentry explains. “In our practice and in our network, we are able to diagnose some kids as early as 18 months or 2 years old, so to get all those extra years of assistance, that’s huge.”

The goal of the foundation is to make sure all families have access to early testing and other resources, no matter what their income or socioeconomic background is. They also aim to connect parents with resources, educate the community and create collaboration between state and local agencies.

They are hosting a golf-themed event on Saturday, September 17 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale. If you use the code ABC15 at checkout, you will get a 50% discount. But act quickly — only a select amount of discount tickets are available.