Hopeland Programs
Forever Friends
Neuro-typical young adults and children from local churches come together with those diagnosed with Autism or other diagnosis. They will be trained in presuming competence, understanding behaviors and anything else needed to facilitate the relationship. Forever Friends will meet as they can but also there are scheduled events at Hopeland and other fun venues where everyone comes together. Our desire is that Forever Friends will become part of and be hosted and administered by local churches. Often because of the behaviors or complexities of their conditions people with autism have never had a friend. When the vision for Hopeland and Forever Friends came about Tracy saw those that would become Forever Friends carry the hearts to be future leaders of the church.
Hope Program
Hope program provides a place during the day for the ones who have aged out of school and aren't currently able to maintain traditional employment. They will tend to farm tasks, grounds and other necessary chores supervised by qualified staff. This opportunity gives participants a sense of self esteem, dignity and purpose while creating new neural pathways from new activities. Many participating have dramatic improvement in motor planning and body control as a result.
Diet and Exercise Education and Training
Connor’s healing has come from steadfast prayer, praise, and proclamation. That said the most significant healing has come from diet and exercise. Healing the gut and clearing the body of toxicity has been miraculous. Jeannie says it is simply eating the way God intended for our bodies to eat. Her journey wit Connor led her to becoming a Certified Health Coach through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, receive her Master's degree from Liberty University and is one of thirty people in the US to be Certified as a coach for the gut healing protocol called GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome). Hopeland offers families healing strategies and support that they can implement when they leave from their stay.
Communication
Connor uses a method called Facilitated Communication to communicate. To be able to express yourself is the most vital need a human has. The ability to express thoughts, needs and wants is vital to mental health. The CDC says that 1 in 38 people are affected by autism. 1 out of 4 diagnosed are non-verbal or non-speaking. We are trained facilitators and are training others in this method. The Spell to Communicate method that was not readily available to us ten years ago has become a lifeline for the non-speaking autism community. Hopeland is to have both methods available with trained facilitators. As valedictorians and others have given speeches using these methods the world is discovering how profound these precious ones are as they "come out of the silence" (Connor's words).
Inner Healing Ministry
When Tracy received the vision for Hopeland it was clear that the whole family needs healing. Families are deeply affected by the diagnosis. We rely on the local Body of Christ and many gifted and trained Counselors and Inner Healing Ministers to serve our families.
Worship Services
True and deep healing can only happen in the manifest Presence of God. Our desire at Hopeland is to honor God in everything we do. Our work is worship as much as is our actual gatherings. A refuge is a place of shelter from distress. Hopeland desires to be more than a restful place, though it is that. Our desire is to offer families who have very little hope real solutions that promote healing. Hopeland is a place for building relationships in community and purposeful work in a setting of discipleship and devotion. We have seen Connor and others who were thought of as too severe to be helped, transformed and thriving in ways most never thought possible.