Today we’d like to introduce you to Reece Blankenship.
Hi Reece, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As the inspiration and “idea man” behind ReClif, a fitness-based therapy center that caters to those on the autism spectrum, my story is quite simply one of perseverance through the challenges that being a non-speaker creates. I won’t delve into the details of my younger years but suffice it to say that I endured thousands of hours of therapy and treatment designed to supposedly “cure” my autism to no avail. In 2017, after aging out of high school and finding almost nothing available to fill my days, my mom enrolled us in a workshop designed to help communication. Over the three days of that event, my family and friends were astounded to learn that my intelligent brain had been lurking in the shadows effectively camouflaged by my unruly body. Mastering the letterboard/typing process is an arduous process at best, but that is another whole story in and of itself. Once I had the ability to effectively and successfully communicate, I began to outline my idea to help not only myself but to assist others as well. Services for non-speaking autistics over the age of 22 are severely limited and I wanted to change that. My vision was to break barriers and challenge the current paradigm in order to shift the negative misconceptions many have about autism. Ergo… “changing the conversation surrounding autism” is my goal in a nutshell. Secondary to that, empowering autistics to be the best they can be and to offer opportunities to develop physical prowess and brain-body connection is what we strive to accomplish at ReClif.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Can you for a moment imagine how both exciting and daunting starting an untried business seemed to me? The planning was only the first step. Finding an ideal location in the metro Atlanta area, easily accessible to many, negotiating a space, and then figuring out that space design to accommodate our plans. Applying for financial backing with an unproven business plan and being denied by multiple banks because of the high-risk factor (even as they all applauded our insight and effort) proved to be our biggest challenge. After years of brainstorming, was this the end of my dream? After much cajoling, I convinced my parents to let me start a Go Fund Me page. Through the generous donations of friends and acquaintances and depleting the savings account my parents had for my unfulfilled college expectations we were able to get this business off the ground.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
ReClif is a center designed by an autistic for other autistics to help provide one on one therapy services including Special Fit, Fit Light, Interactive Metronome, Yoga, and Spelling to Communicate. I am thrilled that in ReClif, we have created a place where inclusion for all is supported, and purposeful movement, brain neurotiming, and the health of our clientele is progressing. ReClif, LLC opened in 2018 with four part-time coaches and a handful of clients. We have grown through mainly word of mouth and social media advertising and now employ six full-time employees and conduct over 150 individualized sessions each week. My greatest blessing is to be able to help others like myself grow to live a more purposeful life. The importance of ReClif goes way beyond what I can explain in a paragraph. My mission is to change the conversation surrounding autism by empowering, accepting, supporting, and advocating for myself and others on the spectrum. Since 2017, I have been honored by amazing encouragement, humbled by the support from friends near and far, and hungry to keep ReClif on an upward trajectory.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Once we opened ReClif, LLC we realized that along with a lack of therapy services for young adults on the spectrum, there was also a huge need for social opportunities with this specific population. We followed our hearts and soon founded ReClif Community, a non-profit organization that aims to provide a chance for more typical life experiences for individuals living with autism and those that care for them. Our mission is to empower its beneficiaries with cognitive-focused activities, social outreach, scholarship, and societal inclusion. Like ReClif, ReClif Community strives to live the motto of its founder by: “changing the conversation surrounding autism.”
Giving a voice to those in need and speaking up for those who cannot.
Pricing:
- Special Fit $89.00/hr
- Fit Light $99.00/hr
- Interactive Metronome $86.00/hr
- Yoga $76.00/hr
- Spelling to Communicate $118.00/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reclif.com
- Instagram: _reclif_
- Facebook: ReClif
