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With an increase in cases of autism nationwide, the city and the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability are working to raise awareness in New Mexico.

Mayor Martin Chavez and Cate McClain, director of the UNM Center, will hold a town hall meeting on autism Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"This town hall is the beginning, it's a grass-roots initiative," said Maryellen Missik-Tow, development specialist at the center. "We are trying to educate people."

Missik-Tow said many people don't comprehend the complexity of the disorder.

"It's a spectrum disorder. You can have a child that's high-functioning but socially inept," she said. "It's difficult to understand, but when you do understand it's reaching out to these families so we can help."

Missik-Tow said 10 years ago, data showed one in 10,000 children in the United States had an autism spectrum disorder. Now, it's one in 150 children.

McClain said the ultimate goal of the town hall meeting would be a facility in Albuquerque with the ability to reach out to communities in New Mexico.

Officials for the city and UNM hope to have a new center by 2010. The projected cost is $10 million.

Chavez said there is definitely a need for a center in New Mexico.

"I've been running into more and more people whose children suffer from autism," he said. "I have a friend who commutes back and forth because of lack of services."

Chavez and representatives from the UNM center hope families that deal with autism can have care right here in the state.

"We need a place where parents and families can come and get information and receive training," he said. "Also a place where professionals can go for training. Then one day I see it evolving into a national center for research."