To help the many children who have autism, one Fort Wayne woman will spend countless hours organizing Indiana’s first nationally affiliated autism walk this fall.

Between calls to businesses, fire stations, potential sponsors and entertainers, Lisa Compton has a most daunting task before her: to make the walk a success.

To do that she needs volunteers. Lots of them.

Compton said, “You have to step out. You have to speak. So many children have no voice.”

The Walk for Autism Research, Oct. 1 at Shoaff Park, will raise funds for autism research, a complex developmental disability that affects one in every 166 children.

The local walk is affiliated with Autism Speaks, a national organization comprising volunteers and parents who are committed to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families and society.

For the upcoming walk, Compton needs volunteers to help plan, register, sponsor, set up, entertain, make crafts, clean up, serve food and more.

She said she would like as many as 100 people to volunteer their time and services, but she needs at least 50 people to run the event.

Compton, director of sales, marketing and product development at SensoryCritters.com, first became involved with the walk last year when she attended Florida’s Family Café conference. The conference focuses on training, education and networking for individuals and families with disabilities or special health-care needs.

There she met Grace Rodriguez, a Lakeworth, Fla., woman who invited Compton to attend the walk she co-chaired. Hurricane Wilma forced a delay, but eventually Compton experienced the walk firsthand, and she arranged for a one to be held in Fort Wayne.

Indiana is one of 23 states — three states more than last year — to participate this year, according to the Autism Speaks Web site, www.autismspeaks.org.

The Walk for Autism Research began in 2000 in the New England area and raised $9.1 million last year, and has set a goal of $10.2 million this year. The walk has funded 175 research projects since 2000.

Autism Speaks’ scientific advisory board, comprising scientists from all over the country, meets once a year in Washington to decide what biomedical research projects will be funded with money from the walks.

Rodriguez, who has two sons with autism, is a member of the Autism Society of Florida Advisory Board; a board member on the Florida Local Advocacy Council; and a board member of the Florida Quality Assurance Board for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. She said she plans to attend the Fort Wayne walk.

Rodriguez said this year’s walks include 29 nationally affiliated walks and two international walks, and Autism Speaks is looking to expand into Asia and India.

The Walk for Autism Research should not be confused with Autism Community Together’s spring autism walk, which raises money to assist area families who participate in costly programs and therapies.