Changing Lives One Story at a Time
For Andre Jones (LCA class of 2009), storytelling is more than a tool, it’s a lifeline. As a behavioral therapist, he creates “social stories” that help children on the autism spectrum navigate everyday challenges, offering them new ways to understand their emotions and respond to the world around them. Now, he’s bringing those same life-shaping lessons into the pages of children’s books. “The social stories are a pathway for them to see different outcomes and give them different tools to do and different routes to try different behaviors to get a better result,” Andre said. “It also is something that they can cling on to and read over and over again and kind of create a pathway for them to do better in terms of certain situations that they encounter.”
Andre expanded the reach of these stories by turning them into books. He has now published four, including his latest release, Big Feelings, which debuted in February 2026. The book teaches children six key principles: common reasons they may feel angry or sad; how emotions feel in their body; that it is okay to have big feelings; how to stop and think before reacting; how to ask for comfort or help; and calming strategies that support emotional growth.
For the past seven years, Andre has worked with children and adults with autism, developing behavioral plans and helping implement more appropriate social behaviors. He works for HealthPro Pediatrics, based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Serving in this field has long been a goal of his, and the opportunity came through an unexpected connection. “It was a word of mouth thing and God winked,” Andre said.
Andre describes his work as “the most rewarding thing.” “You get to see daily growth out of kids and some adults,” Andre said. “We take very hard cases and they're able to go out and go enjoy school and go on vacations and enjoy the simple things in life that they weren't able to before.”
Currently, Andre is pursuing a master’s degree from Ball State University as he works toward becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). He previously earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbus State, along with a minor in communications.
Andre attended LCA for six years and graduated in 2009. Some of his favorite memories include playing basketball and football, as well as attending Chapel on Wednesdays. During his time at LCA, both the basketball and football teams won multiple championships. He also served as class president during his junior year.
One teacher, in particular, stands out when Andre reflects on his time as an LCA Lion. “One of my greatest memories is Mr. [Dwain] Dorsey,” Andre said. “He was our Bible teacher, science teacher and he taught us how to defend our faith early on. So that was good. I don't know if many people know about ‘Mr. Horsey,’ but that's his alter ego. The one that wanted us to defend our faith.” He also spoke highly of Mrs. Tonya Corrente, Mrs. Jennifer Smith, and Mr. Andre King.
Today, Andre is married and has two children—an 11-year-old and a 4-year-old—who are both active in sports. He attends Chestnut Grove Baptist Church and enjoys watching the Atlanta Braves, Falcons, and Hawks. He also spends much of his time traveling for book signings, driven by a clear purpose. “I'm trying to impact a lot of lives and help in a lot of areas that are not visible,” Andre said.
Plans are underway for Andre to return to LCA to read his book to current students, something he is especially excited about. He recalls doing something similar during his senior year with the Lower School. In the meantime, Andre shared advice for current and future LCA students. “Stay the course,” Andre said. “ God has a plan for you. It may not look like what you envision for yourself, but staying mindful and staying in prayer and listening for God's advice and God's route for your life. Just be aware of those. There will be a lot of distractions. There will be a lot of reroutes, but stay patient and stay in the Word so that you are aware of what's going on and who's speaking to you.”
Copies of Andre’s latest book, Big Feelings can be purchased via Amazon.