How We Can Help
Developmental Therapy For Children
Birth To Five Years
Adult Residential Services
Day Programming
Employment And Community Integration
Our Services & Programs
At Waves, our goal is to help every person supported develop the independent life skills needed to reach their full potential.
My child wants to get a job.
Do you have a loved one with an intellectual and development disability who is interested in finding a job, but just needs support? Waves has employment and community integration support that can wrap around your loved ones to help with every step in the hiring process. Click here to learn more.
I work during the day and my loved one needs support during that time.
Often parents of adults with disabilities struggle to find support so they can work. Waves Adult Day Services provide weekday socialization and community integration allowing caregivers the opportunity to work or have a more flexible schedule. Our adults develop different skills through programming that encourages them to build their independence and to engage in activities of their interest. Click here to learn more.
I think my child might be behind in her development.
Have you noticed that your child might be “behind” or advancing slower than others his age? If you think he might have delay, there are resources available to help. Waves Early Learning Team can provide developmental therapy to children under the age of five. Click here to learn more.
We are new to Middle TN and need resources/support for our loved one with a disability.
Have you recently relocated to Middle TN and have a loved one with a disability needing support? At Waves, our staff can help you access the resources needed to find the best support for you and your loved one. Click here to find out more.
My child received a disability diagnosis, now what?
Has your pediatrician recently diagnosed your infant with a disability or delay? The Waves Early Learning Program can provide developmental therapy to your child for free to help them reach their developmental milestones. Click here to learn more.
I am an aging parent and want to make sure my adult child has living arrangements in the future
Do you care for an adult with an intellectual or developmental disability and want to secure their future living arrangements? Waves Adult Residential Program provides living arrangements in community-integrated homes throughout Williamson County promoting independent living environments with individualized levels of support. Click here to learn more.
About Us
In 1973, Waves was created to provide programming and support for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by a group of families in Fairview. At that time, the primary option for care and support was through State institutionalization. These families in Fairview decided they could provide a better quality of life for their loved ones and decided to “Make Waves” in the community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Fifty years later, Waves is still providing support for families in Fairview and beyond. Our mission to empower people with disabilities to progress toward their full potential has shaped the programming available through Waves and expanded our reach throughout Williamson County. Families receive support through Adult Day Programs, Community Integration, Residential Services, and Employment Services.
In addition to supporting adults with disabilities, Waves also provides support to children with developmental delays or disabilities through developmental therapy. As a provider through Tennessee Early Intervention Services (TEIS) and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD), Waves Early Learning Program helps children in 7+ Middle TN counties.
As a trusted service provider, our programs continue to grow and assist families and individuals to live as independently as possible. Our staff works with families and adults, providing customized programming that is unique to each person supported at Waves. By identifying goals, developing skills, and mastering objectives, Waves assists over 1,000 people each year to progress toward their full potential. Through State waivers, Waves services are free to recipients.
The growth of the services at Waves has been a reflection of the needs within the disability community and the support of the generous Middle TN community. While our programs have expanded, our mission has remained the same—help each person supported live as independently as possible.
Hear From Those We Support
Judy H., Waves Volunteer
“I’ve been aware of what Waves, Inc. has been doing for individuals in our community for a long time. I love our community and the people here, so I wanted to be involved with an organization like Waves that is making such a positive impact on so many people. I have enjoyed getting to know the staff at Waves who are so passionate and committed to those they serve.”
Waves Volunteer
“Interacting with the residents [of the Waves Adult Residential Program] was an enlightening experience that I will forever remember.”
Mother of child who received developmental therapy
The past few weeks have been so bittersweet! Yes, Jake turning three tomorrow is huge but for us it means even more! It means beginning another journey and saying goodbye to the past. When your child is given a diagnosis at birth it truly is an unexplainable experience that unless you’ve gone through it you will never understand. You have a whirlwind of emotions and unanswered questions of ‘what will happen?’
You will have friends and family tell you it’s going to be okay, don’t worry he’s going to be fine and they mean that and it’s so kind but deep down you think ‘you don’t know and you don’t understand’. You will worry that you will never figure things out or if you are doing the right things for your child.
They send an abundance of people to you to test your child and tell you what’s wrong with them and what they can or can’t do to help and it’s beyond stressful.
However, our story is a little different because we were lucky enough to have been blessed with Mrs. Gina.
She came into our lives and let us know that Jake would be fine and hit the milestones we were so worried about. She listened to me cry and ask a million questions about his future and she ever so patiently answered them and gave us a positive outlook each week.
You see, she is one of the trailblazers that I look up to because her adult son also has DS and is excelling in everything! She has gone through all of the emotions we were feeling and helped us realize that it was normal and that in time things would work out.
Words will never say enough about the love she has shown our family and especially Jake and now that Jake is turning three, we will have to say goodbye because our time is up and she will be with another family but I know she has him ready for his next adventure and I know that he will be fine and for that I am so very thankful.
(On a side note, when she left today I heard him say Gina for the first time)
Mother of child who received developmental therapy through Waves.
Becoming a new mother is challenging enough on its own. Then when you start to worry about your child’s development due to milestone delays, it only becomes that much more challenging and stressful. I had no idea what to expect throughout the early stages of our journey with TEIS, but was very grateful for the additional support I received from Ashley through Waves. She helped me set achievable and realistic goals for my son throughout the process. She helped provide strategies for everything from getting our son to cruise when he wasn’t, tips for transitioning activities without a meltdown, bath time struggle suggestions and more. She even attended my meetings with the school system for the transition out of TEIS, which was helpful to have the additional support. Seeing how much my son has changed during the time he was offered services is something I do not take for granted. When Ashley first came to my home, my son was so scared of new people being in his space that she would have to sit on the other side of the room. By the time we transitioned out of developmental therapy, he was completely comfortable around her to the point of unlocking the front door and letting her in the house, high fives and all. Fortunately, through therapy, he now tolerates most new people with grace. The extra support of having someone I could discuss all-around developmental concerns and progress with on a consistent basis really has helped me gain confidence as a mother which will benefit my son for the rest of his life. I am forever grateful to the team behind my son’s development and am excited to continue to see him grow and flourish. Thank you for everything you do!
over 600
supported annually
8+
counties served
53
employees at Waves
You Can Make A Difference
In The Lives Of Individuals With Disabilities.
Waves Is A Proud Member Of
