GHA Autism Supports

GHA Autism Supports For 48 years, GHA Autism Supports has provided quality, community services to meet the unique needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

GHA Autism Supports is licensed by the Division of Health Service Regulation of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources. In addition, GHA Autism Supports is nationally accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). ICF/MR homes are certified by the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance. GHA Autism Supports is affiliated with the Autism Society of No

rth Carolina and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Community-Based ICF/MR and CAP providers and the North Carolina Providers Council. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

05/01/2026

Get ready for some excitement as we reveal the winners of our three Early Bird Drawings for the 18th Annual GHA Rubber Duck Derby! Be sure to watch the video to see if your name is called and find out who takes home these fantastic prizes.

A big thank you to our generous sponsors:

—Smith’s Home Furnishings for donating 2 beautiful Adirondack chairs!
—Lowe’s of Albemarle for the Blackstone grill to get grilling season stated off right!
—And our third lucky winner will receive $500 in cash!

Don’t forget to join us for the main event! We’ll gather at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 16th in the cool pool area of the Stanly County Family YMCA for the official duck drop. It’s always an exciting moment as we watch to see which ducks race to the finish!

Prizes for the main event:

1st Place Duck: $3,000 cash
2nd Place Duck: $1,000 cash

We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support this year—all 7,617 ducks were sold out nearly two weeks ago! Thank you to everyone who purchased a duck and helped make this year’s Derby a huge success in support of GHA.

Good luck, and we’ll see you at the pool!

GHA Autism Supports was honored to speak at the Albemarle Rotary Club meeting last week. We enjoyed sharing our story an...
04/28/2026

GHA Autism Supports was honored to speak at the Albemarle Rotary Club meeting last week. We enjoyed sharing our story and answering questions from club members!

This morning, our Development Coordinator, Lori Ivey, had a wonderful time reading with children at the Badin Branch of ...
04/28/2026

This morning, our Development Coordinator, Lori Ivey, had a wonderful time reading with children at the Badin Branch of the Stanly County Public Library. Together, they enjoyed All My Stripes, a heartwarming story about Zane the zebra, who has autism and learns to embrace what makes him unique.

Throughout April, in recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, we’ve been grateful for so many opportunities to share more about GHA Autism Supports and to have meaningful conversations about what true acceptance looks like. Moments like these remind us how powerful it is to start those conversations early.

While April shines a special spotlight on autism acceptance, the message doesn’t end here. Acceptance, understanding, and inclusion are things we must continue to practice and promote every single day, all year long. 💙 🧩💙

Today's "shout out" goes to our Silver GHA Rubber Duck Derby Sponsors! We are so thankful for local businesses, parents...
04/28/2026

Today's "shout out" goes to our Silver GHA Rubber Duck Derby Sponsors! We are so thankful for local businesses, parents and family members, board members and folks in our community that support the work of GHA Autism Supports! #

We enjoyed our annual Egg Hunt a few weeks ago! Although the weather was a bit cold, we had fun decorating our bags, sea...
04/27/2026

We enjoyed our annual Egg Hunt a few weeks ago! Although the weather was a bit cold, we had fun decorating our bags, searching for eggs & enjoying snacks together. It was a great opportunity to gather with friends for a fun event. Thank you to our Direct Care Staff that accompanying individuals as well as Central Office Staff for planning and helping make the event successful.

Our GHA Rubber Duck Derby Sponsors make our event possible. Today, we're highlighting our Gold Sponsors. We are so tha...
04/27/2026

Our GHA Rubber Duck Derby Sponsors make our event possible. Today, we're highlighting our Gold Sponsors. We are so thankful for their sponsorship and support of GHA Autism Supports.

GHA Autism Supports was honored to be featured as the spotlight organization during yesterday‘s WorkTogetherNC Housing a...
04/23/2026

GHA Autism Supports was honored to be featured as the spotlight organization during yesterday‘s WorkTogetherNC Housing and Community Living Work Group virtual session! Our Chief Learning Officer, Janet Banks, and Chief Quality Officer, Dee Pankey Thompson, shared valuable insights about GHA Autism Supports and the services we provide to individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities and their families. This collaborative work group creates a meaningful space to improve the quality of life for individuals with ID/DD and their families through making it easier to navigate systems of support and the transition to adulthood by increasing access to meaningful work, continued education and community engagement.

We are always grateful for opportunities to tell our story and highlight the work we are so passionate about. The timing made it even more special, as we continue to celebrate April as Autism Acceptance Month! To learn more about the WorkTogetherNC Housing and Community Living Work Group, visit http://worktogethernc.com/

Did you know that every duck purchased ($5 each - we are sold out for the 2026 Duck Derby) and sponsorship is used to pr...
04/23/2026

Did you know that every duck purchased ($5 each - we are sold out for the 2026 Duck Derby) and sponsorship is used to provide activities and opportunities for individuals with autism at GHA? Today we're giving a "shout out" to our Platinum Sponsors. We appreciate their support and investing in opportunities for the individuals we support at GHA.

An important message from GHA Autism Supports CEO Dawn Allen…
04/21/2026

An important message from GHA Autism Supports CEO Dawn Allen…

Participants from the Day Program enjoyed a visit to Albemarle Nutrition’s Salt Cave Therapy Room. Salt Cave Therapy da...
04/21/2026

Participants from the Day Program enjoyed a visit to Albemarle Nutrition’s Salt Cave Therapy Room. Salt Cave Therapy dates to the early 1800’s and the benefits include improved breathing, skin health, stress reduction and mental well-being. We began visiting the Salt Cave because of our Whole Person Integrative Care Duke Endowment Grant. It’s popularity with individuals we support at GHA continues today.

It's been a record breaking year - we sold out of ducks more than a month ahead of our annual GHA Rubber Duck Derby fund...
04/21/2026

It's been a record breaking year - we sold out of ducks more than a month ahead of our annual GHA Rubber Duck Derby fundraiser! The event would not be possible without our Duck Derby Sponsors. Over the next two weeks we will be highlighting those individuals and businesses for their support. A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Uwharrie Bank! We appreciate their support of this annual fundraiser and throughout the year. Uwharrie Bank's commitment to the community and GHA does not go unnoticed. Thank you for supporting GHA Autism Supports!

We’re proud to share that our Chief Learning Officer, Janet Banks, and Chief Quality Officer, Dee Pankey Thompson, prese...
04/14/2026

We’re proud to share that our Chief Learning Officer, Janet Banks, and Chief Quality Officer, Dee Pankey Thompson, presented today to faculty members at Pfeiffer University on ways to better support students on the autism spectrum.

From providing an overview of autism, to deepening understanding, to sharing practical strategies and available resources, the session offered meaningful tools to help create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

This presentation is part of our ongoing efforts to highlight Autism Acceptance Month, and we are thrilled to continue strengthening our partnership with Pfeiffer University on so many levels. Together, we are making a difference! 💛🧩💛

Address

213 N 2nd Street
Albemarle, NC
28001

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+17049829600

Website

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