HealthLinks Upstate March/April 2019

www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com | 37 In 1996, just before Lisa Lane’s son turned 2, he was diagnosed with autism. “It was relatively rare back then,” she reminisced. “There were few services available, and I felt a bit hopeless.” In order for her to get Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for her son, she would have to fly in consultants from New York and California, recruit therapists, provide her own training and programs and find her own funding. That was when she decided to band together with other par- ents and create a nonprofit for autism. “It started as a small preschool for kids,” she said. And with that, the Project HOPE Foundation was formed in the Upstate of South Carolina. For co-founders Lane and Susan Sachs, HOPE meant “Help Our Potential Emerge.” When Project HOPE got its start, the rate of autism was 1 in 2,500. Today, that number has jumped to 1 in 59. “We’ve seen growth with the non- profit because autism has grown so much as well,” Lane said. Their mission is to provide services across the spectrum – from the basic self-help services to others who are college-bound but need social skills. They serve all ages as well. “We have children as young as 2 and adults in their late 20s,” she stated. Project HOPE’s services are divid- ed into four categories – therapy, education, adult services and community outreach. Their therapy service is based on the concept of ABA, which provides familiar practices in systemic ways to teach skills and to replace problem behaviors with more appropriate ones. Project HOPE’s education service, Hope Academy, provides a number of classroom options servicing students from 3 years old to high school both for typical learners and for those on the autism spectrum. One aspect of Project HOPE that makes it unique is its adult services program, Hope Alive. They help adults with autism ex- pand their potential and even place them in jobs. The community outreach service of Project HOPE, Hope Link, aims to provide resources to families, gain training, support and offer opportunities to improve the quality of family life at home. Project HOPE has eight campuses across the Upstate – two each in Greenville and Woodruff and one each in Greenwood, Mauldin, Pendleton and Spartanburg. Programs serving children and adults with autism teach children to learn in a group setting; help young adults develop life skills, especially with vocational options and personal interests; provide support for families through counseling; and address the severe gap in employment in the autism com- munity by placing adults with potential employers. Project HOPE’s big event, An Evening of HOPE, will be held on April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Greenville Convention Center. This black-tie event offers a cocktail hour, sit-down dinner, superlative auctions, stories of hope and an opportunity to be a part of Project HOPE’s mission. “The HOPE Gala gives families a chance to be together,” Lane said. “This event also offers understanding and sup- port from the community as a whole.” Project HOPE also hosts a run/walk in November every year called HOPE Relay. Last year’s relay was held at Hartness Estates. Of course, volunteers are always welcome at these events. The community also can help Project HOPE’s mission by making a donation on their website at www.projecthopesc.org/give. Lane’s son, who was nonverbal until he was 8, is now 24, and ABA therapy has been extremely effective for him. “There is so much human potential in people living with autism. Getting them the therapy they need is an investment that will pay off. They will need less and less support as they progress, but, if you don’t get them the help they need, it will cost more to take care of them over time,” Lane said. Milestones vary across the autism spectrum, but Lane has found that all parents of children with autism need peer support. “We are all in this together,” she concluded. “We get it. We understand and we are here." THERE IS IN AUTISM HEALTHL INKS IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THESE UPSTATE AREA NONPROFITS By Theresa Stratford www.projecthopesc.org For more information on the Project HOPE Foundation, visit www.projecthopesc.org or call 864-676-0028.