SCORE Mentor Group Supports Autism Training Entrepreneur

Wendy Dawson’s stepson was diagnosed with autism at age 2. He came into her life at age 4, which began her journey of navigating uncharted territory, ultimately leading her to guide other families along the path.

“What does this mean?” Dawson recalled thinking of the autism diagnosis. “Where do you go for all of these services?”

As it turned out, the “learning curve” is steep for other families grappling with an autism diagnosis. She created a nonprofit organization in 2010 to provide social skills and pre-vocational training.

“That blossomed and grew,” Dawson said. It grew so much that during COVID she spent hours on the phone answering questions from families outside of the Houston community. “It was unsustainable.”

In response, she launched Incuentro, LLC, which provides in-person and virtual social skills training for kids ages 4 and up; vocational training for individuals ages 12 and up; and post-secondary, and comprehensive assessments support for individuals with autism through the Spectrum Linx Foundation. The Spectrum Linx app features more than 85 micro-courses, life path Journey Maps and a chat forum.

“We really just want to be a resource to parents,” Dawson said. “We’re bringing together the specialty providers that parents need and building on our marketplace to have a place for families to go.”

Most of the offerings on the app, which launched in 2024, are free. For $2.99 per month, subscribers gain access to a private chat group where they can post helpful information about summer camps and other activities and lean on other parents for support.

“They don’t feel alone,” Dawson said, adding that all of the forums are moderated by expert educators. “My goal is really to get outside of Houston. People who live in rural areas can have access to autism expertise on their phone. They can learn and their family can learn.”

To date, more than 400 users have created accounts. Of those, 200 are subscribers. App users are from at least 11 countries worldwide, including India, Africa, Switzerland and Germany.

In an effort to expand her audience, Dawson competed in SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition. SCORE is a national nonprofit organization that supports small businesses through free mentoring.

More than 2,200 small businesses applied to compete in five pitch events. Contestants were pared down to 60 contenders who presented their pitch live before panels of judges. Participants were matched with SCORE mentors to refine their pitches, strengthen their presentations, and hone their business plans. Dawson was one of 45 finalists.

She teamed with SCORE mentor Art Klebba, whose background is in sales and marketing, as well as four other SCORE mentors from the Houston chapter who specialize in finances and human resources.

“I really believe in what she’s doing,” Klebba said. “She’s quite articulate and has a lot of experience in business.”

Dawson began working with a SCORE while running her nonprofit and said she enjoys working with her regular mentor group, who have guided her in applying for government funding and grants from various organizations, including the National Institute of Health. They also support her, serve as her sounding board and assist her in connecting with others who can help further her business.

“My SCORE mentors put me in contact with a SCORE mentor who works in intellectual property,” Dawson said. “That was a huge win, because trying to find a lawyer and pay those legal fees was out of my budget.”

Intellectual property insight came in handy as Dawson created Incuentro’s Social Skills in a Box program, which she will begin piloting soon in an East Texas school district.

“There’s such a need for that knowledge,” she said, of the all-digital program which comes equipped with a guide to social skills classes, lesson plans and more. “That’s how we’re going to expand to other communities.”

To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor, or volunteer to be one, visit score.org.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow, or successfully exit a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources, and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit score.org.