Utah Autism Foundation History
The history of the Utah Autism Foundation begins with the story of its founder, David R. Spafford. David first made his mark in the mid ‘80s as the founder of Megahertz Corp., a computer manufacturing business he started in the basement of his home while attending the University of Utah.

When Megahertz was purchased by U.S. Robotics, David pursued a number of philanthropic projects as an advocate for the University of Utah. Beyond his University ties, David and his wife, Susan, began the Devonshire Foundation, an organization dedicated to enriching their community through philanthropic giving.

After the couple’s son Joey was diagnosed with autism, they turned their energies to providing support and research to aid parents and children coping with this little-understood condition. They were instrumental in the founding of the Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism, and in 2000 they started the Utah Autism Foundation to fund research into the causes of autism.

Today, the Utah Autism Foundation continues to work towards this goal, raising money that is moving researchers closer to an answer, and giving hope to parents and children affected by autism.