Mission: Have Dreams aspires to help children with an autistic spectrum disorder to learn, function independently, and socialize so that they may realize their full potential and develop into contributing members of their communities. Founded in 1996, Have Dreams is located in Park Ridge, Illinois, and serves children from across the Chicago metropolitan area. Have Dreams provides children with autism with a safe and engaging environment in which to learn and rehearse social and independent living skills, and provides their families and communities with information and support.
Programs: Resource organization serving children, teens and young adults with autism. With offices in Park Ridge and Evanston, Have Dreams offers individualized after-school programs, vocational, life skills and transition to employment programs, along with diagnostic and family support services. Our continuum of services support individuals from early childhood through adulthood, and offer a broad range of programs to serve the full range of the autism spectrum. Programs for children and teens include Special Olympics, Technology Club and a nationally recognized Film & Multimedia camp. Transition to adult services include Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism at Northwestern University and Have Dreams Academy, as well as a variety of programs that focus on developing critical soft skills for employment, internship experiences and life skills. Have Dreams also provides best-practice autism training for professionals and individual, in-home and school consultative services.
My 9 year old son has attended Have Dreams for 3 years now. The changes that have come through the skills taught at Have Dreams are incredible. The staff is amazing and truly has the children's best interests at heart. My son has been part of a Social Skills class that has allowed him to interact with peers approriately and has also been part of the Special Olympics through Have Dreams. It is a place where my whole family feels welcome and most improtantly, where my son feels safe and loved.
Have Dreams has been unbelievable in helping my nine-year-old high functioning autistic son to make friends and gain the skills and confidence he needs to succeed at school. Everyone at my son's school has noticed the tremendous improvement in his ability to control himself and to have positive interactions with the neurotypical kids in his class. I could not imagine last year that this fall my son would be successfully playing with other fourth graders during recess and physical education class. The Have Dreams staff is unbelievably professional and supportive.
