25-04-2025
Moms Create Project Hope – And Spectrum Of Autism Services In Upstate
Hope means everything – especially to the parents of a child newly diagnosed with autism.
'When I'm talking to parents who are new to this journey, I tell them that you have to look ahead. But only far enough so that you can plan and not panic. You don't know where your journey is going,' says Lisa Lane, co-CEO of Project Hope Foundation.
Lane and Susan Sachs co-founded and co-lead the organization that today provides autism services at nine locations: three in Greenville and one each in Anderson, Clemson, Greenwood, Landrum, Spartanburg and Woodruff.
The two women met 28 years ago after finding few resources when their sons were diagnosed with autism.
'There was a dearth of services,' says Lane, a former attorney. 'I vividly remember that it felt very isolating. Alone. Bleak. Scary.'
She and Sachs – a social worker with a background in education – decided to open an inclusive preschool for children with autism.
'Hope is a good word. It is embodied in our services. We have grown into a nonprofit that provides a lifespan of autism services, across communities, across ages … as young as 2 years old, and our oldest is in his mid-50s ... and across the spectrum, autism being a spectrum in terms of severity of needs,' Lane says.
'We have tiers of services to match different needs. That's what makes us unique. We are autism-specific, but we've got depth and breadth.'
Project Hope's largest program, a skill-building therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis, serves 300 individuals each day.
'ABA therapy teaches the skills that autistic individuals need to engage in life. We are serving the client and also the family,' Lane says.
'We ask what's happening in the household. What do we need to work on? Are you concerned about holidays? We meet the family where they are. We understand how hard it is.'
It's important that families not isolate if an individual with autism has disruptive or even dangerous behaviors like darting away, Lane says.
'We see the tantrums that other people don't understand. We see the struggles. And we celebrate the 'extraordinary ordinary' moments that most people take for granted. When my son was 13 and zipped his jacket for the first time, that was something to celebrate.'
It is estimated that as many as 40% of individuals with autism are non-verbal, Lane says.
'We've got to get them communicating. If you don't have communication, you'll have challenging behaviors because you do whatever you have to do to get your needs met.' Lane's son did not speak until he was 8 years old.
Project Hope therapists and teachers also instill social skills, like how to pay attention to and engage with others, Lane explains.
Individuals with more skills might learn social nuances like sarcasm or how to make small talk.
Project Hope operates an accredited school, kindergarten through high school, in Landrum. Classes are also available at satellite campuses in Spartanburg and Woodruff.
'Some students are diploma-bound, some are working on basic interaction. We also partner with about 30 local, private and public schools to support students in those learning environments,' Lane says.
'We work one-on-one and then find opportunities. When we bring children together, we practice classroom readiness because our goal is to find out whether we can get folks into a school that is not necessarily ours – a mainstream environment, if they can, where they can start using all those great skills.'
The adult program emphasizes life skills, group employment, and individual employment. Project Hope operates its own T-shirt printing business, Printed By Hope. Custom shirts are sold on Etsy and the foundation's website,
'Adults with autism gain experience with employment and working with other people – and earn a paycheck while they're still learning other skills,' Lane says. 'We always try to give them access to the biggest life they can have.'
The next urgent need is housing, she says. Lane's son is 30 years old; Sachs' son, Michael, is almost 33; both will need supportive housing for the rest of their lives. Many autistic individuals outlive their parents.
Lane heaps praise on the Project Hope staff of more than 300.
'We have a fantastic team of people who change lives for the better. Our therapy team. Our education team. Our adult team. We also have scheduling and billing and HR professionals who make it possible to provide services that are urgently needed,' she says.
Project Hope's newest campus is near Clemson, a program formerly based in Pendleton that outgrew its space.
The next new facility will be on the Greenwood Genetic Center campus, where researchers from Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina are already collaborating. Project Hope already has a particularly close working relationship with Greenwood School District 50.
Few would deny that autism diagnoses are more prevalent than when Lane and Sachs started Project Hope. Today, one person in 36 is diagnosed with autism. In the '90s, the rate was one in 2,500 people.
'We don't hazard a guess as to causation,' Lane says. 'We work with Greenwood Genetic Center and hope that they will figure out lots of things. We're very interested in the research, but what we do best is to help folks who need support when they find that they have a diagnosis that will require assistance.'
Project Hope receives funding for services through Medicaid, insurance, and private pay. But a 'huge gap' remains that must be filled by fundraising, donors and grants, Lane says. Every Project Hope location has a waiting list.
The goal for the upcoming Evening of Hope Gala, on April 5, is to raise $1 million.
For those who can give, 'Your funds go to local services that are transformative. Nearly half of the folks who come through our programs are able to move into mainstream life. That is wonderful. The financial return on investment is obvious,' Lane says.
'The emotional return is hard to measure. It's a way to make a difference in a life.'
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Moms Create Project Hope – And Spectrum Of Autism Services In Upstate
