Help THRIVE! Transform Lives

THRIVE! Enrichment Services is an Illinois-based nonprofit organization that is committed to serving the needs of individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or other neurological, intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) with comorbid challenging behaviors (CB) and their families. THRIVE! is determined the improve every aspect of life for people who are impacted by challenging behaviors by providing them with the resources, supports, services and interventions necessary for them to lead productive, meaningful and fulfilling lives with the greatest degrees of self-determination and independence possible.

 

Why THRIVE! Was Started

 

According to data from 2019, there are more than 18,000 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) on the waiting list to receive vital services and supports in Illinois. On average, they wait 7 years. In 2019, 53% of “crisis placements” had been waiting for 4 or more years to receive services. Those who have challenging behaviors often wait forever.

 

 

 

We are not willing to wait any longer. Individuals and families that are impacted by challenging behaviors need help right now. THRIVE! is committed to helping as many of those families as possible with urgent expediency.

 

 

About Challenging Behaviors

 

According to Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), there are approximately 16 million people in the United States have an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (I/DD), and about 12.5% (2 million) of them display destructive behavior. Other studies have shown that as many as 62% of adults who are described as having severe Autism Spectrum Disorder or I/DD have comorbid challenging behaviors (Rojahn, Matson, Lott, Esbensen, & Smalls, 2001).

 

 

 

The most common problematic challenging behaviors include physical aggression towards others, self-injury, elopement and property destruction. The causes of comorbid challenging behaviors can be complex, complicated, multifaceted and difficult to identify. Many factors and/or combinations of factors can cause, contribute to or exacerbate challenging behaviors. Factors that can cause and/or contribute to challenging behaviors may be physical, medical, mental, cognitive, sensory, functional, regulatory or environmental in nature. Challenging behaviors can even emerge in response changes in family dynamics or caregiver arrangements.

 

 

 

 

The Driving Force Behind THRIVE!

 

The three founding board members are all parents of adults who have disabilities. They all have personal and professional experience with challenging behaviors. The founding board members have broad and deep experience in education, social services, nonprofit management and disability advocacy.

 

The founding board members have incorporated THRIVE! Enrichment Services, spoken directly with families who are impacted by challenging behaviors and the professionals who work with them, researched best practices for treating and managing challenging behaviors, analyzed the operations of the most effective providers of services for individuals and families that are impacted by comorbid challenging behaviors, applied for 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status, and began the process of designing their programs in preparation to begin delivering the highest quality person-centered, family-focused community-based services.

 

For years, the founding board members of THRIVE! have assisted families by educating them, advising them, advocating for them and connecting them with resources. Still, too many families need far more resources and supports that are currently available to them. Families that are impacted by challenging behaviors are desperate to stay safe and stay together, and to have opportunities to do things that other families do—like attending family gatherings, having active social lives, traveling, and running errands.

 

Sometimes families have to take extreme measures to meet their children’s needs, such as making extraordinary home repairs, undertaking unusual and expensive home modifications and moving out of state. The individuals and families that must endure these hardships are the inspiration, motivation and catalyst for launching THRIVE!

 

 

 

 

THRIVE! is leading the charge to provide vital services to help individuals and families that are affected by challenging behaviors stay safe, remain intact, participate in their communities and improve their quality of life.

 

Why Illinois Families Need THRIVE!

 

There are no local postsecondary habilitation, training or vocational programs for adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) with comorbid challenging behaviors.

 

There are no local crisis behavioral stabilization programs that are readily accessible and widely available to them. There are no local specialized psychiatric treatment programs designed specifically for individuals who have severe challenging behaviors. Individuals with severe challenging behaviors are often rejected for residential placements. Families impacted by challenging behaviors cannot call the police EVER, and there are no crisis response teams to help them de-escalate a behavior crisis.

 

While some families who have the financial resources to do so can place their children in one of the few programs around the country that are equipped to effectively address severe challenging behaviors…that is, if they can find a facility that is willing to accept their child, most families are left to deal with the situation on their own with little or no effective outside support. Many do so by installing special high security locks and cameras throughout their homes and, in the event of a crisis, locking themselves in a room and using cameras to monitor their children until it is safe to be in the same room with them again.

 

 

 

Most people who have comorbid challenging behaviors live in their family homes. Sadly, for the most part, they rarely leave their homes. They are very often excluded from social activities and cultural amenities that are available to the general public. Their homes become virtual prisons—silos floating on islands that are disconnected from the very communities they live in. They are technically a part of, yet practically very much apart from their communities.

 

With few available appropriate programs, services and supports, people with autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors often end up with nothing to do and nowhere to go, so they, for all intents and purposes, disappear from productive life. It doesn’t have to be this way, and it shouldn’t be.

 

How THRIVE! Will Help

 

Modeled after the best in class programs for reducing the frequency, severity, intensity and duration of challenging behaviors, THRIVE! will provide the gold standard in evidence-based behavior management services to the individuals and families it will serve. THRIVE! will identify the causes and functions of challenging behaviors and develop data-based, person-centered plans to effectively and dramatically reduce incidences of challenging behaviors.

 

That’s just the beginning. THRIVE! Enrichment Services will do so much more to help individuals with comorbid challenging behaviors live their best lives and do so without limits. THRIVE! will provide a wide variety of programs, resources, services and supports for individuals with autism or I/DD and comorbid challenging behaviors, their families, caregivers, service providers and communities.

 

THRIVE! will provide intensive habilitation programs that focus on achieving independence in activities of daily living, developing functional communication skills and preparing for competitive work opportunities. THRIVE! will support its participants’ entrepreneurial ambitions with a Maker’s Lab, a Creator’s Studio and technical assistance.

 

THRIVE! will provide onsite medical and dental services by clinicians who have been specially trained to work effectively with people who have autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors. THRIVE! will provide speech, communication and occupational therapy services. THRIVE! will provide clinical, creative and expressive therapies. THRIVE! will provide counseling, resources, respite and support for families and caregivers.

 

THRIVE! will train law police officers, first responders, healthcare professionals, business owners and educators to safely, calmly and effectively work with people who have autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors. THRIVE! will help businesses and public facilities to create environments and programs that accept, welcome and support people who have comorbid challenging behaviors.

 

THRIVE! will work with local hospitals to create supports for people who have autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors. THRIVE! will work with families to identify appropriate specialized inpatient programs for people who have severe challenging behaviors or dangerous behaviors who need immediate, intensive treatment for acute behavior escalations. THRIVE! will operate a behavior crisis hotline and a mobile crisis intervention unit that will travel to homes and community sites to provide emergency behavior de-escalation services.

 

THRIVE! will provide recreational and social activities, including swimming, horseback riding, rollerblading, ice skating, bowling, movies, live performances and community outings for individuals with comorbid challenging behaviors and their families in a supportive, judgement-free environment.

 

Watch our video to learn more about how THRIVE! will help individuals and families that live with comorbid challenging behaviors.

 

 

 

THRIVE! NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

 

As you can see, THRIVE! has big, bold, ambitious plans to create life-enhancing supports and services for individuals and families that are affected by autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors. We have a lot of work to do in order to accomplish our lofty goals. But we need your help in order to do so.

 

THRIVE! is currently raising funds to acquire and customize a facility to house our programs and hire the necessary staff to begin providing services. We have already identified two local properties that would be ideally suited for our programs. Once we acquire a property, we will immediately begin preparing it to begin program operations.

 

We need your help to make our vision a reality and to begin transforming lives, eliminating barriers to inclusion and creating opportunities. Here is what you can do to put THRIVE! on the fast track to helping these individuals and families.

 

DONATE ONLINE

 

Support our work at THRIVE! by making a donation online. Every dollar donated will be an investment in helping individuals with comorbid challenging behaviors and their families to live their best lives, which ultimately benefits us all. Encourage others you know who care about people who have autism or I/DD with comorbid challenging behaviors to visit us at www.iwillhelpyouthrive.org and support our work with a donation.

 

DONATE BY MAIL

 

To donate by mail, please download and complete our check donation form. Your form and check payable to THRIVE! Enrichment Services can be mailed to us at:

 

THRIVE! Enrichment Services

9631 S Cicero Ave #1107

Oak Lawn, IL 60453

 

PURCHASE THRIVE! GEAR

 

Proudly wear or carry your support for THRIVE! Enrichment Services and for the full inclusion of people who have challenging behaviors by purchasing official THRIVE! gear from our online store . We sell a large selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, face masks, tote bags and mugs in a variety of colors and designs.

 

 

 

 

Purchase your gear today and join the THRIVE! Tribe. All proceeds from sales of THRIVE! gear will be used to help acquire, repair and modify facilities to house and operate our programs.

 

SPREAD THE WORD

 

Tell everyone you know about THRIVE! and our #HelpTHRIVETransformLives fundraiser on GoFundMe. We are very excited about helping individuals and families that are impacted by comorbid challenging behaviors and we want everyone to know it!

 

 

HELP THRIVE! TRANSFORM LIVES

 

With your help, THRIVE! is going to transform the lives of individuals and families who are impacted by comorbid challenging behaviors by providing the resources, supports and services they need to fully participate in and enjoy every aspect of family and community life; eliminating barriers to inclusion; and creating opportunities for personal and professional enrichment. Please donate, join the THRIVE! Tribe and #HelpTHRIVETransformLives.