Thrive Academy in Cape Coral gets expansion for autism services

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A school for students with autism spectrum disorder is getting a makeover.

Family Initiative's Thrive Academy campus, located along Chiquita Boulevard in Cape Coral, is being renovated and expanded. Before construction began, families got to have a little fun by breaking down walls with sledgehammers.

Everyone got a chance to make their mark in a space that will soon be transformed to better serve the community. Family Initiative, a nonprofit organization, calls this renovation project a game-changer for families.

Stevens Construction is tearing down 25 walls to double the space inside. Seven classrooms, a STEM lab, a sensory room and more are being created.

The expansion comes at a time when more and more families are reaching out to them for help.

"When we started, the prevalence was one in 101, and the CDC would report today, it's 1 in 31, so that increase in just a decade is overwhelming," said David Brown and Anjali Van Drie, co-founders and president and vice president of Family Initiative.

"I think, in the number of families moving to Southwest Florida, every day, we're getting phone calls. We're getting emails from families across the region who are seeking support," they said.

Renovations are expected to be finished by this summer. The hope is to reopen in August.