Melanie D. White, founder and lead practitioner of Auxiliary Autism Programs & Services, transitioned from grant writing to autism therapy in 2020 after being inspired by a documentary during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After earning a certification in Floortime autism, White spent time working at several Applied Behavioral Analysis autism centers where she said she realized there was something missing for individuals with learning differences.

About the program: With a staff of five trained therapists, Auxiliary Autism provides services for children ages 4-17 with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Down syndrome, dyslexia and other developmental and learning differences.

In addition, White said AU has plans to expand its services to young adults ages 18-24 early this year.

What else? Most recently, in August, AU added a full day program for a capacity of 10 kids in which children are able to learn with several strategies combined. With 90-day progress reports and one-on-one sessions with parents, AU tracks its students progress and evaluates the effectiveness of their tailored plan.

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Houston-area hospitality businesses can now earn points for their sustainability practices as part of a new program that aims to limit environmental harm ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a nutshell: The FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee launched the “New Year, New Hou” initiative Jan. 12 to mitigate the environmental impact of tourism during the tournament, which will run from June 11 to July 19, per a news release. Roughly 500,000 people are expected to visit Houston to watch the games, Community Impact previously reported.

About the program: Hotels, motels and restaurants—including cafés and bars—based within the Houston-Galveston Area Council's boundaries can participate in the program through Feb. 28, according to the release.

Qualifying businesses can earn badges by implementing environmentally friendly practices pertaining to waste management, energy efficiency and natural resources, according to the committee’s Sustainability Toolkit. 

What to expect: Verified businesses will be added to a “sustainable tourism guide” for World Cup visitors, per the release. 

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area