As a young boy, Luke pulled his mother's rotator cuff. He didn't mean to, of course, but Luke has a nonverbal form of autism and bipolar disorder. When he could not communicate, he would lash out. "Without proper treatment, he could be dangerous," his mom says....
The first time Jaquan read a billboard, it brought tears to his mother's eyes. She discovered her son’s learning disability when he entered kindergarten. Letters, numbers––he couldn’t retain them. None of his teachers addressed the issue. He struggled. In first grade,...
When one walks into Noll Café, it can be expected that you will see dedicated staff, hard-working students, and plenty of smiles to go around. It is not hard to notice all the work put into the café’s operations, and it is especially nice to see new...
Noll Café at The Hope Institute has great food and great service. The students from Hope that work in the café are always making sure there is an upbeat atmosphere. Michael, 15, one of those students who works at Noll Café is thriving not...
If you ever need help, Kyle is definitely the right person to ask. Kyle is always willing to lend a hand when needed and volunteers whenever possible. He can often be found holding doors open for people and having a polite and friendly...
A few weeks ago, senior students at The Hope School Learning Center in Springfield celebrated graduation. This ceremony, a rite of passage for so many teens, is no less so for our students with autism and other developmental disabilities....
Camden Martin might have been one of the youngest people in the room for the Carson Scholars but his future shines bright. On April 25, Martin, a 5th grader at Hope Institute Learning Academy and the son of Vaneika Martin, attended the award...
Aric has a knack for overcoming challenges. As an infant, he battled a respiratory virus and was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 2 after his family noticed he had trouble talking and making eye contact. He was met with...
Joe is a 16-year-old boy with autism who uses sign language to communicate his wants and needs. However, later this month he’ll rock the runway and let his legs do the talking. Joe is one of eight Hope students who will take part in the...
Six-year-old twins Delilah and Sophia share a lot of similarities, including their bright smiles and curly hair. However, they also have some significant differences. Both girls were diagnosed at age 3 with an autism spectrum disorder. While...