According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States. When Brent and Jaime Hemsley’s son Logan was diagnosed with autism just before his third birthday, they were overwhelmed with treatment options.

The Hemsleys said that experts recommended that Logan receive 40 hours of therapy each week, which many insurance providers don’t cover, so it would wind up being incredibly expensive. On top of the high costs, therapists are hard to come by in Knoxville. In spite of these obstacles, Logan began seeing specialists often, and his parents saw a huge improvement over the next two years. Logan recently began talking, which is something the Hemsleys thought they might never hear.

The Hemsleys know that intensive therapy is not an option for many families, so they decided to open Autism Achievement Academy, Knoxville’s first school for autistic children. The school will open this fall with about a dozen children, ages three to five years old. The Hemsleys are in the process of becoming a non-profit, getting approval from the state department of education, and putting together the school’s board of directors. They are also currently fundraising, and hope to raise about a million dollars.

If you and your family have recently moved to the area and would like to donate or get involved with a community effort, your Knoxville moving company suggests supporting the Autism Achievement Academy. It is a wonderful organization in its infancy, which is dedicated to helping autistic children and their families.