Kristi Mardell got the keys this week for an office where Fort McMurray's autism society will soon set up shop, good news that came five months after she and other members fled the wildfire with their children.

Many society members went to Red Deer or Edmonton in the days after the wildfire. The forced evacuation was especially stressful for autistic children, who need specific help and programs most children don't require.

A handful of society members haven't returned since the city reopened in June, because the supports and classes for their children were better than those provided in Fort McMurray.

"We evacuated to Red Deer and we were well setup there, and the services we got kicked in right away," said Mardell, president of autism society in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. "Our kids had support in school right way. It was amazing how fast and supportive the other communities were compared to Fort McMurray.

"It made me want to do more in Fort McMurray. But because we were so well set up, it was hard to come back."

Mardell and her family, which includes her autistic son, 6-year-old Quentin, are back in Fort McMurray. Her support group may have lost members since the fire, but she said she's getting interest from new members and is starting to look for families in the surrounding communities.

"We're going to be reaching out to Conklin, Fort McKay, Fort Chipewyan to try and get more awareness of autism in those communities, to try to build up our community."

There are about 200 families in the region with autistic children, Mardell said. The autism society helps parents learn how to deal with their children's development, though the majority of professionals are a five-hour drive to the south.

"The closest place for any of us to go is Edmonton, and there's a wait list," she said. "There's doctors that do clinics for one week every six months, and they see like 60 to 70 families in that week."

During the evacuation this summer, Terri Duncan of Children's Autism Services of Edmonton met many families from Fort McMurray. She said services similar to those offered in Edmonton are much needed in Alberta's oilsands capital.

"We need to build capacity in these communities outside of the two major centres, so that families don't feel like they need to relocate to get services," Duncan said. "They should have access to the services they need in their own communities."

Mardell envisions an autism centre in Fort McMurray with job training and social skills classes. That vision includes physiotherapy, with a focus on autistic children who haven't learned to walk.

Such a centre would cost close to $25 million, Mardell said, much of which she hopes to get from the province.

She said she hopes to have the centre completed within the next five years.