Every Child Deserves
A Voice

Bringing world-class autism rehabilitation to the children who need it most — across borders, beyond barriers.

Make a Difference Our Mission
Bangladesh Proyash Initiative

Hope Knows
No Borders

Our structured teaching programs are transforming lives in Bangladesh — one caregiver, one child at a time.

See Our Work Support Us
Evidence-Based Approach

Science, Compassion
& Action

Grounded in the latest autism research, our programs deliver measurable impact to underserved communities worldwide.

Our Research Join Our Cause
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0+ Children Served
0 Countries Reached
0+ Trained Caregivers
0 Years of Impact
Our Identity

Who We Are

Rise Up NGO is a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing autism rehabilitation services in the world's most underserved communities.

Founded by a coalition of autism specialists, developmental pediatricians, and humanitarian advocates, Rise Up NGO — Autism Rehabilitation, Inclusion & Support for Everyone — bridges the gap between cutting-edge autism science and the communities that need it most.

We operate primarily in low- and middle-income countries where autism is widely misunderstood and support services are nearly nonexistent. Our evidence-based programs are modeled after globally validated frameworks including the TEACCH Structured Teaching methodology.

Compassion-Led

Every program centers the dignity and potential of the autistic individual.

Evidence-Based

Our methods are rooted in peer-reviewed research and continuously evaluated.

Globally Minded

Culturally adapted, linguistically accessible — designed for local contexts.

Caregiver supporting an autistic child
Children in a supportive learning environment
Our Mission

Quality autism care — accessible to every child, everywhere.

The People Behind Our Mission

Our Team

Guided by expertise, driven by purpose. Our leadership brings together decades of clinical, academic, and nonprofit experience.

Management

B (Retd)

Brig. Gen. Dr. Sharafat Hossain (Retd)

Chairman

Retired Brigadier General and professional engineer with 37 years of civil engineering, leadership, and international service experience.

B (Retd)

Mohammed Hossain, MBA

CEO

Marketing leader with deep experience across asset management, FinTech, CPG brand management, and demand‑generation, blending corporate expertise with mission‑driven leadership

Board of Directors

B (Retd)

Sayma Afreen

Head of US Operations

Transportation Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the civil engineering industry. Strong operations professional.

B (Retd)

Stu Nichols

Head of Business Strategy

North Carolina real estate investor and developer, longtime global attorney, and current Board Chair of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., also serving on the First Launch Capital Fund advisory board.

B (Retd)

David Djaniants, MBA

Board Treasurer

Strategic business leader driving growth through innovation, operational excellence, and strong cross‑functional leadership.

Capacity Building

Training Programs

We train local educators, families, and professionals to deliver sustainable autism support in their own communities.

FLAGSHIP PROJECT

Bangladesh Proyash

"Proyash" — The Bengali word for Effort & Aspiration

Launched in 2019 in partnership with local clinicians and educational institutions in Dhaka and Sylhet, Bangladesh Proyash is our most ambitious on-the-ground initiative. In a country where autism services are severely limited and social stigma remains a critical barrier, Proyash works at the grassroots level to change both practice and perception.

The program trains teachers, therapists, and family caregivers using a culturally adapted curriculum informed by the TEACCH Structured Teaching approach — equipping communities with tools they can sustain long after our teams depart.

420+Children Enrolled
180+Educators Trained
12Partner Schools
Support This Project
Bangladesh Proyash training session
International training

Our Training Methodology: Structured Teaching

Inspired by the globally respected TEACCH® Autism Program at UNC Chapel Hill, our structured teaching approach uses predictability, visual supports, and individualized instruction to unlock each child's potential.

Physical Structure

Organized, clearly defined spaces that minimize distractions and communicate expectations visually — making the environment a teaching tool.

Predictable Schedules

Visual schedules that tell children "what happens next," reducing anxiety and building independence and cooperation.

Work Systems

Individualized structured tasks that teach children to work independently — building confidence and transferring skills to daily life.

Visual Information

Harnessing the visual learning strengths common in autistic individuals to make abstract information concrete and actionable.

Caregiver Training

Equipping parents and caregivers with structured strategies used in the classroom — ensuring continuity of learning at home.

Progress Monitoring

Ongoing assessment and data collection to track each child's growth and dynamically adjust instructional strategies.

Science & Evidence

Research & Insights

Our programs are grounded in rigorous, peer-reviewed autism research. Here are key findings that shape our approach.

Early Intervention

Early Intervention Can Transform Developmental Trajectories

A landmark study found that intensive early behavioral intervention before age 3 produces measurable improvements in IQ, adaptive behavior, and language outcomes. Children who received early intervention showed brain activity patterns approaching neurotypical levels by age 4–5.

JAMA Pediatrics, 2012 Dawson et al. — ESDM Trial
Structured Teaching

TEACCH Structured Teaching Improves Adaptive Behavior Across the Lifespan

A comprehensive meta-analysis found significant positive effects on motor skills, verbal communication, cognition, and social skills following TEACCH-based structured teaching. Critically, benefits were sustained across all age groups — from toddlers to adults.

Clinical Psychology Review, 2013 Virués-Ortega et al.
Low-Income Settings

Caregiver-Mediated Therapies Are Effective in Low-Resource Settings

Research from The Lancet Psychiatry demonstrated that caregiver-delivered structured interventions — adapted for low-income countries and delivered by trained non-specialists — produced significant gains in children with autism in India. This WHO-supported study validates task-shifting models central to our Bangladesh Proyash program.

The Lancet Psychiatry, 2019 Divan et al. / WHO
Communication

AAC Interventions Unlock Communication for Non-Verbal Children

A 2020 systematic review confirmed that Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools — including picture exchange systems (PECS) and speech-generating devices — significantly enhance communication and reduce challenging behaviors. Crucially, AAC does not suppress speech development; in most cases, it actively promotes it.

AAC Journal, 2020 Ganz et al.
Stigma & Awareness

Stigma Remains the Biggest Barrier to Care in South Asia

A 2022 cross-national study found that in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, over 70% of autistic children remain undiagnosed — not due to lack of clinical capacity alone, but because of deep-rooted cultural stigma. Community education was identified as the single most high-impact intervention for increasing service uptake.

Global Mental Health, 2022 Islam & Rahman et al.
Neuroscience

Neuroplasticity: The Brain Can Grow With the Right Support

Neuroimaging studies demonstrate that early and consistent behavioral interventions correlate with measurable structural brain changes in children with ASD — particularly in regions governing language and social processing. The brain's plasticity is greatest in early childhood, making every year of delayed intervention a missed opportunity.

Nature Neuroscience, 2021 Hazlett et al.
Make a Difference Today

A Child in Bangladesh
Can't Wait

Right now, in a small home in Bangladesh, there is a child — bright, full of potential — who cannot speak the words trapped inside them. A child who overwhelms their parents, who is misunderstood by their school, who has never met a therapist or seen a structured classroom.

Your donation changes that. For as little as $50, we can train a local caregiver in structured teaching techniques. For $250, we can stock a classroom with visual learning tools that transform how a teacher sees and serves their students. For $1,000, we can fund a full year of rehabilitation support for one child.

These children are not waiting for a miracle. They are waiting for someone who cares enough to act. Will you be that someone?

$50 Trains one caregiver in structured teaching basics
$250 Equips one classroom with visual learning aids
$1,000 Funds a full year of rehabilitation support for one child

Give Hope Today

100% of your donation goes directly to our programs. RisUp NGO is a registered 501(c)(3) — your gift is fully tax-deductible.

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