UNION, Mo. • It was time for an art project, but Blake Walkenhorst, 14, wandered into the corner of the room.

"Blake has two choices, the ball or sit at the table," said instructor Meghan Radford, who had just finished another negotiation with a 13-year-old boy who insisted, "No art."

Blake sat at the table and stared at the Popsicle sticks and glue.

"You need to keep trying," Radford encouraged. "You can do this." But instead, Blake opted to sit and bounce on a large exercise ball, which he finds soothing.

The boys were among four children with varying degrees of autism in a morning camp Monday at the new McGee Autism Center. Seven more were coming in the afternoon. The challenging moment was just a sliver for Radford, who volunteers the more than 60 hours a week she spends preparing and leading classes at the center.

"I love being here, and lives are being changed," said Radford, 29. The entire staff at the center volunteer their time, dedicated to meeting the needs of a population they're struggling to help.

Founder Mary McGee started out two years ago at her kitchen table, taking calls from desperate parents, wondering about everything from how to stop a child from banging his head against the wall to what sort of services they should be getting in school.

In less than a year, McGee opened a small three-room facility in a strip mall near the center of town. On Sunday, the center is hosting an open house for its latest home — a 10,000-square-foot former church — where it serves more than 150 children from an eight-county area.

"What I thought MAC would be when it started and what it has evolved to ... It's so amazing," McGee said.

The quick expansion reflects the growing number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, a group of developmental disabilities characterized by problems with socialization, communication and behavior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 1 in 110 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder, with an estimated 1 in 83 in Missouri.

The demand for the center's services is also evidence of the need for treatment and support in rural areas.

McGee, 44, is driven by the isolation she felt when her 9-year-old son was diagnosed with autism while living in Union almost six years ago.

"Here I was sitting in the middle of Franklin County, thinking I was the only family with a child with autism," she said. "I was so wrong."

AN 'EXTREME NEED'

Vicky Pealer, 45, of Union, felt overwhelmed when her son, Dalton, 10, was diagnosed seven months ago with Asperger's syndrome, on the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. She found a flier in her grocery bag about a fundraiser for the McGee Autism Center.

"I walked in with the flier and said, 'My son was recently diagnosed. I don't know who I need to talk to or what I need to do, but I need some help,'" Pealer said.

She took the center's autism basics class — where she learned signs, symptoms and ways to handle problems — and has taken advantage of the parent and sibling support groups. Dalton comes to camp two mornings a week and takes a weekly class to improve critical thinking skills. Pealer said she has learned about services Dalton's school must provide, and Dalton has become more calm and social. But the center provides more to her than education and treatment.

"When you are a parent, it's so important just to have someone," Pealer said. "I can call them anytime. I can come in, and Mary can give me a hug."

And Dalton has a place where he doesn't feel left out or misunderstood, she said.

Sharon Moeller, communications director for the advocacy group Missouri Families for Effective Autism Treatment, said families in rural areas face an "extreme need" for autism services and support.

They often must drive several hours to meet with doctors and therapists, Moeller said. Their choices in providers are also limited, she said.

Kristi Mattison, communications director for TouchPoint Autism Services, the largest provider in Missouri, said distance and lack of transportation are the greatest barriers rural families face in getting treatment.

TouchPoint, with offices in St. Louis, Columbia, Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff, receives funding from the state for therapists to provide in-home services. "We drive hundreds of thousands of miles to provide services to families across the state who would never otherwise have access to these services," Mattison said. But services in rural areas are not as cohesive.

"In urban areas, we find that the community of parents, teachers, doctors and professionals providing autism services can more easily come together or be on the same page to work with families," Mattison said.

HELPING OTHER PARENTS

McGee said when her son was diagnosed, she was told he would never talk, which she proved wrong. "I'm a stubborn Irish woman," she said. She learned all she could about Applied Behavior Analysis, a popular behavior modification therapy, and practiced it at home. She finished college and went on to earn her master's in counseling, with a goal to eventually help other parents like her.

She worked for Franklin County's developmental disability service and volunteered with Missouri Parents Act, helping families develop special education plans for their children.

A year before finishing her master's, she incorporated the McGee Autism Center, which consisted of her kitchen table and cellphone. She received a $14,000 grant from the county to open in the strip mall.

That's when Radford called, wondering if McGee was hiring. Radford was working on her master's in special education with an emphasis on autism therapy. She had worked in special education after-school programs, at a state school for the severely disabled and the Judevine Center for Autism in St. Louis. McGee was able to convince her to volunteer.

"I started out little by little, and then the program just blossomed," Radford said. But she's fulfilled, she said. The children "are more of a blessing to me than anything."

Ann Shaw, 62, volunteers as the full-time office manager, answering the phone that is constantly ringing. About nine others, mainly moms, also help. Eleven teens, some who are siblings, volunteer as "buddies" in camps and classes.

McGee charges families a nominal fee but accepts anyone who can't pay. To raise money, they sell hot dogs at Walmart and host walks, roller-skating parties and scrapbooking events.

McGee said her role is changing into that of a grant-writer and fundraiser. She's looking to secure reimbursement through the state for therapy. On Monday night, after working all day in the center, she spoke to a group of parents in St. James wanting a similar center in their community.

McGee said, "There are just not enough of me and Meghan."