Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville

Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville Founded in 1999 by parents of children with autism, Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

Our mission is to provide services that enable adults with autism to lead purposeful lives. Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville was founded in 1999 by concerned parents to create support for adults with autistic spectrum disorders. Although between $236 and 265 billion dollars are spent annually on autism in the United States and nearly $175 billion is spent on adult services, after an adult with an

autistic spectrum disorder ages out of the school system, little support is available to help them live meaningful and independent lives. These parents saw this problem and dreamt of a utopia where their children could be supported but not stifled in their personal growth and have the opportunity to thrive in a college campus-like setting. Today, Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville is an innovator and model of excellence in not only the region, but in the field. The person-centered, family-focused planning model strives to create opportunities for lifelong learning, community integration and purposeful, gainful employment for any individual supported who wants to work. At present, community living, community recreation, community service and community employment programs exist and further the mission of improving the lives of adults with autism. The organization continues to grow with the addition of a support group for adults with high functioning autism, a community liaison service and the Project SEARCH program at UT Medical Center. Project SEARCH is a nine month program providing internships at the hospital which develop job skills, social skills and connections with the community to strengthen the individual supported’s ties with their employer. Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville is always developing new concepts to expand the range of services provided and, as executive director Beth Ritchie says, to “perfect the dream”.

THANK YOU to everyone who showed up and showed love at our first ever gala fundraiser!!! Check out all the fun that wa...
04/29/2026

THANK YOU to everyone who showed up and showed love at our first ever gala fundraiser!!! Check out all the fun that was had in the photos captured by ! Because of YOU, we are able to make a greater impact for those that we support!

04/25/2026
Check out our latest project to make our garden space amazing!!! Follow that page for updates!!!!
04/02/2026

Check out our latest project to make our garden space amazing!!! Follow that page for updates!!!!

🎉 We’re excited to introduce the Neighborhood Active Zone!
This project will transform what is now a basic garden space into an accessible, sensory-friendly area designed to promote wellness, independence, and community connection. Stay tuned as we share updates and ways to get involved!

You can donate to the overall project using the link below! (Please Designate funds by adding a Note that it's for the active zone!) https://breakthroughknoxville.org/donate/

03/28/2026

How can you say no to this!? Donate today at Breakthroughknoxville.org/Donate and specify "active zone"!

Address

1700 Liberty Street
Knoxville, TN
37921

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Website

https://www.biggiveknox.org/organizations/autism-breakthrough

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