High Hopes Development Center is a local non-profit that has been equipping children and youth, with and without special needs, to reach their maximum potential for over 30 years with two programs.  They offer an inclusive preschool, where children who are typically-developing make up 60% of their enrollment and 40% have a diagnosed special need ranging from developmental delays all the way to rare chromosomal disorders, and everything in between.  They also offer an on-site pediatric therapy clinic providing physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies.

For more information on High Hopes & Hops please contact Lori Scott at lscott@highhopesforkids.org.  To purchase tickets please visit High Hopes & Hops.

High Hopes Development Center was established in 1984 by five Middle Tennessee families who recognized their children’s needs were not being met in local preschools. Each of these families had a child with a special need or chronic disease and they found themselves driving to several locations weekly to receive all of the therapy services needed. These visionaries were determined to create a place where their children’s needs could be met, both academically and therapeutically, and where their children would be educated among their typically-developing peers.

On July 18, 2014, High Hopes celebrated our 30^th birthday in our first permanent home at 301 High Hopes Court in Franklin, a tribute to the foresight of those first young families.

The Preschool at High Hopes Development Center nurtures and educates children ages six weeks to Pre-Kindergarten. The preschool provides inclusive education to children with and without special needs in a research-based, developmentally-appropriate manner, while maintaining a ratio of 60% children who are typically-developing to 40% children who have developmental delays. Inclusion allows children with special needs to learn alongside typically-developing peers, instilling the values of diversity, acceptance, and individuality. Each of our eight classrooms is staffed with a highly-experienced and/or degreed lead teacher and a teaching assistant that support the individual needs of each child. High Hopes’ preschool is licensed by the State of Tennessee and was voted #1 “Best Daycare” in The Tennessean’s “Pick of Williamson County.”

The Therapy Clinic at High Hopes Development Center helps children and youth from birth to 21 years achieve success in all areas of their daily lives by offering physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies.  Children work one-on-one with therapists reaching goals and improving skills. Therapy sessions for preschool students are often conducted in the classrooms, incorporating everyday situations and peer interactions into the sessions. All High Hopes therapists have advanced degrees and an average of over 14 years of specialized pediatric experience.

High Hopes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.