A Florence nonprofit has served 134 teens and adults with developmental differences in less than a year, teaching the everyday skills that families say keep them up at night.
Debra Geers opened Perspectives: Skills for Life at 45 Cavalier Blvd. in October 2025. Since then, the 501(c)(3) has launched seven programs and worked with 96 teens and 38 adults who have autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities or learning disabilities, according to Local 12.
The center accepts students as young as 11.
One of those students is Devin Coute, a 16-year-old Florence-area resident with autism. Coute told Local 12 he commonly learns new things at the center, from cooking to handling clothes. His mother said the program eases a constant worry.
"These are the things that keep us up at night, worried about our children's future and how they're going to navigate the world when we're not in their day-to-day life anymore," she said. "Knowing that he's getting these skills makes me comfortable."
The center's flagship offering, called Surviving and Thriving in the Real-World, walks students through personal hygiene, morning and evening routines, laundry and grocery shopping. Geers told Local 12 the program covers tasks most people take for granted but that her students need structured practice to master independently.
Among the center's other offerings, the PEERS Social Skills Program, an evidence-based curriculum, teaches teens and young adults how to start conversations, read social cues and handle disagreements. The F.O.C.U.S. Executive Function program targets time management, organization, planning and task completion for students with ADHD.
Geers said the center also serves people who are simply struggling with life skills at a particular point in their lives, not only those with a formal diagnosis.
How to connect
Families interested in enrollment can call (859) 980-3930 or visit nkyperspectives.org.
Coming up
Perspectives: Skills for Life hosts a fundraising golf outing at The Willows Golf Course on Oct. 4, 2026. The four-person scramble starts at 8 a.m., costs $600 per foursome and is limited to 25 teams. An "Impact Foursome" sponsorship is available for $1,000.
