Heart of Hope Academy

Heart of Hope Academy is an accredited non-profit private program located in Northeast Atlanta which provides educational and experiential opportunities for children with autism and developmental delays. Heart of Hope is a facility where children with disabilities have opportunities for self-determination in all areas of life including independent living, educational, leisure and employment opportunities. This in turn will produce confident, self-determined, employable and contributing citizens in their community. Heart of Hope Academy practices a unique Academic Curriculum that combines academic skills for instance pre-reading, writing and mathematics with applicable learning techniques to increase self-sufficiency. In our Community Life Skill Program, the children are taught daily living skills, health and nutrition, pre-vocational skills and safety skills. Daily physical education both in school and after school is available for students.

Values

Life- Every life has a purpose and we are created to help one another find it.

Patience- Most things worthwhile are not achieved without effort and sometimes mistakes.

Optimism- Focusing on what people can do and what they are capable of will give them courage to try and do more.

Respect- Knowing our boundaries and respecting others’ helps us feel safe to learn and grow.

Vision

Our vision is to become a facility where people with disabilities have opportunities for self-determination in all areas of life including independent living, educational, leisure, and employment opportunities.

Our Mission...Heart of Hope Academy provides educational programs and experiential opportunities for children with autism and developmental delays to become proud, independent, contributing citizens of their community.

“The Heart of the Hope Academy is the recognition of how short childhood is and how far these children have to go to attain their own fulfilled adulthoods.”

Philosophy

Heart of Hope Academy Staff and Board of Directors believe that every life has a purpose. Every person has talents and gifts to achieve personal fulfillment. Creating meaningful activities, educational opportunities, and genuine loving relationships are important in the “success” of life.

Educationally, our lessons and interactions are based on a Developmental, Individual Processing Differences, and Relationship Based model. This model was formally researched and created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan who believes that developmental growth must have an individualized intervention plan which considers the child’s social emotional skill level, their sensory needs, and the quality of the relationships in which they are engaged. Through social emotional growth, one can develop abstract thinking which in turn facilitates academic capacities to learn.

Phillip C. Barry Grubb & Ellis	Grover Maxwell Montag & Caldwell
Angela Matthiessen Heart of Hope Academy	Richard Parry Fidelity Investments
Joerg Matthiessen Boston Consulting Group	Margaret Parry Lekotek
Donna Kain Buckhead Community Bank	Denise Elsbree Trio Media Group