The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN) indicates that there are over 1200 families waiting for services for their children diagnosed with ASD. Project HOPE Foundation and the Institute for Behavioral Training were awarded a DDSN training grant in early 2015 to provide training for SC families that are waiting.

Project HOPE Foundation and IBT will host eight parent training workshops across the state of South Carolina in 2015. The first event will take place in Spartanburg on April 30, 2015 at the Mary Black Foundation (downtown Spartanburg) from 9 am-4 pm. The next event will take place in Aiken on May 11, 2015 (location and time to be determined). The remaining events will take place in the summer and fall in Charleston, Columbia, Clemson, Florence, Greenville, and Greenwood. Project HOPE staff will be on site to provide in-person training to parents on ASD, behavior management techniques, ABA, and other topics. IBT staff will be on site to provide free access to its popular Parent eLearning program, so parents can continue their training at home, at their own pace. Families will also be able to access Skills, an on-line assessment and curriculum (www.skillsforautism.com), as well as a recently published book on evidence-based treatment for individuals with ASD.

Since 1996, Project HOPE Foundation, a non-profit organization, has been making great strides with ASD in the state of South Carolina. Their mission is to lead the way in providing a lifespan of services for the autism community through programs that Help families, Open minds, Promote inclusion, and Expand potential. Their website is www.projecthopesc.org.

Eligible parents should attend the training event that is most convenient for them. For registration, please visit the Project HOPE website at www.projecthopesc.org/parent-training. For further information about the events, please call Project HOPE Foundation at 864-476-7400.

Training Dates and information (information will be added as determined):

• April 30, 2015, 9am-4pm, Mary Black Foundation, 349 East Main Street #100, Spartanburg, SC 29302
• May 11, 2015, 10am-5pm, Aiken County Public Library, 314 Chesterfield St. S, Aiken, SC 29801
• August 28, 2015, 9:30am-4pm, Greenwood Genetics Center, 101 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, SC 29646
• November 2, 2015, 9:30am-4pm, Sea Coast Church, West Ashley Campus, 2049 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407
• December 4, 2015, 9:30am-4pm, McCloud Medical, Plaza Auditorium, 800 East Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29506
• Greenville, SC (TBA)
• Columbia, SC (TBA)
• Clemson, SC (TBA)