Tonight was our holiday open house, We do this every year and well, to be honest, there were very few folks who attended today. I could be sad and disappointed but I am not at all, I am thrilled.

Success looks very different at the Hope Center for Autism
Tonight was a bucket list kind of night, tonight was a gift.

Last April at our autism awareness rally one of our clients told me he wanted to talk in the microphone like he saw an older boy who often speaks with me does. I explained he had to work hard and practice speaking clearly and we would see.

Before I go any farther let’s step back a few years, you need to understand this child was totally nonverbal at age 4, would not make any eye contact or allow you to even touch him much at all. He was a hard child to work with at times.

OK, back to today at 12 years old, he stood before over 20+ adults he had never met and he answered questions about his day. He did not get a microphone but he was amazing. It was a surprise for him and his parents that I was going to ask him to talk tonight, they would have all been so nervous…I was a little nervous but mostly I was excited. I prayed it would go well. What an amazing moment to see a child reach such a goal. From nonverbal to sharing his day with strangers. Bucket List for me and my boy.

Then at the same time, there was a second young man attending, who shared about being bullied in public school and a little about his current school. And about his sock drive for the homeless, what? A person with autism cares about the homeless? A person with autism has compassion?

I am blessed.
Autism looks different from therapy,
Autism the way I see it at Hope Center 4 Autism

Please excuse my typos and poor writing skills but I hope you hear my heart.

-Susan Wood, Executive Director