Alumni Profiles

A Brighter Spectrum

Sarah Kovit Hanna '07

Sarah Kovit Hanna '07 is a member of a lost generation.

For years, women were not diagnosed with autism because the research focused on boys. Today, Sarah is anything but lost. With purpose and determination, she is navigating the world of autism through The Positivity Spectrum, a nonprofit she founded to build a more supportive and inclusive world for children with autism and their families.

It wasn't Sarah's diagnosis that prompted her to establish The Positivity Spectrum. It was her son Jacob's autism diagnosis that inspired her to jump into action. For a full-time corporate attorney and a single mom, the diagnosis was challenging. "I would have to get Jacob to these appointments," Sarah recalls. "I remember sitting in my car and having my laptops and stacks of papers. Because I was negotiating multi-million dollar contracts while my kid was in his appointment."

Despite her stress, it didn't take Sarah long to notice that other autism families experience even more roadblocks. "The more involved I got, the more inequities I saw," she says. "The more money you have, the more affluent you are, the more likely your kid is likely to be part of what is considered one of the 'successful outcomes' because you pay the equivalent of a mortgage per month for therapy services after insurance. Plus, you have to have a job that allows you flexibility."

Sarah counts herself fortunate that she has the means to pay for an autism diagnosis for her son privately and also that her company allows her to work remotely. Others are not as lucky.

"The diagnosis rate right now is 1 in 31, but there is often a two- to three-year backlog in getting your kid diagnosed if you're using insurance."

Sarah continued noticing inequities in the world of autism but the primary catalyst for starting a nonprofit happened when Jacob went to kindergarten. "Within my 45-minute surrounding area, there are no full-day, all-summer childcare options for autistic children" she says. "The social and emotional progress your child makes will regress when they are home alone."

Sarah explored options at her local YMCA and discovered autism is not a hurdle for a child to enroll in summer camp. "What they couldn't provide is an aid for my son because it would be overly burdensome for them and open the floodgates to them having to offer the same accommodation to anyone else who asked for it. I basically said, 'game on.'"

Emboldened with her purpose, Sarah is paving the way for children with autism to access recreational spaces such as Sky Zone. She started a school-based "Mission Inclusion" program to educate children and teachers about autism. The secret-agent-themed program includes a book Sarah wrote, Sid the Kid Detective, and a pamphlet for parents.

Sarah's next step was to set up a free legal clinic, which launched in August 2025. "We've received wonderful feedback from lawyers willing to help for free," Sarah says. "Phase 1 is IEP advocacy. Phase 2 will be special needs trusts."

Sarah will laugh and tell you energy drinks fuel her, but what ignites her is the opportunity to build infrastructure for autism services. "Goodwill is there—nobody is saying no they won't help. But the infrastructure needs to be there. I've found that if you build it, they really will come. I'm not afraid of the ask, and I'm not afraid of the no. My gift is in connecting the pieces."