Parent Training Workshops

Institute for Behavioral Training and Project HOPE Foundation Partner to Provide Training


Project HOPE Foundation and Institute for Behavioral Training (IBT) today announced a partnership to provide training resources to South Carolina parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are waiting for therapy services. Project HOPE Foundation has been serving the South Carolina autism community for almost 20 years.   IBT has trained over 5,000 people across the U.S. and other countries since 2013.  The training resources include parent training workshops across the state as well as online tools that provide parents and caregivers with in-depth training on ASD, applied behavior analysis (ABA), behavior management techniques, and other important topics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s announcement on March 27, 2014, autism impacts one in 68 children and one in 42 boys. Rates of autism in South Carolina are consistent with these statistics.  The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN) indicates that there are over 1,200 families waiting for services for their children diagnosed with ASD.  Project HOPE Foundation and the Institute for Behavioral Training were awarded a $125,000 DDSN training grant to provide training for South Carolina families that are waiting.

"At Hope Reach we frequently impress upon our staff two principles:  ABA changes lives and every moment counts,” says Mark Knight, director of HOPE Reach, a program of Project HOPE Foundation.  “Through this grant and the partnership with IBT, we will help empower hundreds of families waiting for services to capture teaching opportunities and experience the benefits of ABA."

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 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The second event will take place on May 11, 2015 in Aiken, South Carolina.  Additional events will take place in Charleston, Greenwood, Columbia, Florence, Clemson and Greenville.  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, allowing parents to continue their training at home, at their own pace.  Families will also be able to access Skills®, the leading online assessment and curriculum utilized by autism treatment centers worldwide (www.skillsforautism.com), as well as a recently published book on evidence-based treatment for individuals with ASD.

Eligible parents should attend the training event that is most convenient for them.  For registration and more information about the events, please visit the Project HOPE Foundation website at www.projecthopesc.org/parent-training or call Project HOPE Foundation at 864-476-7400; parents can also visit the IBT website at www.ibehavioraltraining.com/IBT/SouthCarolina-UpcomingEvents.aspx.