... as we celebrate 20 years transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism.
20 years of listening. 20 years of innovating. 20 years of empowering. 20 years of sharing.
From founding the first charter school in New York to exclusively serve children with autism, and the establishment of a professional training center with Hunter College to the creation of the renowned Center for Autism and the Developing Brain with New York-Presbyterian, Columbia and Cornell, NEXT for AUTISM has always been at the forefront of building programs that enhance the lives of people with autism and their families.
With the incidence of autism in children now at 1 in 36 and more than 5.4 million autistic adults in the U.S., our work is not just important, but vital. It also means that someone you know loves someone with autism.
Looking ahead, NEXT is laser focused on ensuring a bright future for autistic adults because we believe that we all deserve to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
Join us as we embark on the next 20 years of innovation and impact. Together we will expand our journey of listening, innovating, empowering, sharing and celebrating. Together we will build programs that meaningfully enhance the lives of autistic adults.
Together we will create what’s next for autism.
LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD
20 years is a significant milestone. It presents NEXT with a unique opportunity to reflect on our work, our community, and plan for what's next for autism.
LISTENING
We are only as good as the sum of our parts. When we listen and encourage dialogue, we collectively achieve the greatest results. Listening is what’s next for autism.
INNOVATING
Innovative means more than simply ‘new’. At NEXT for AUTISM, we define innovation as challenging the status quo and finding creative ways to achieve our vision that every adult with autism is given the tools to thrive. Innovating is what’s next for autism.
EMPOWERING
It’s empowering to be included, be seen, and be accepted. NEXT links these keys attributes into our vision, our work model, and our programming. We want autistic adults to be empowered to participate fully in life. Empowering is what’s next for autism.
SHARING
When we share, we learn and evolve. One of the few common elements of autism is that each person has a unique journey. NEXT welcomes diverse perspectives to. Sharing is what’s next for autism.
CELEBRATING
We celebrate our community. We celebrate you. We celebrate what makes us different and unique and what makes us the same. We celebrate 20 years of listening, innovating, empowering, and sharing. We celebrate what’s next for autism.
PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE LIVES
NEXT FOR DSP
NEXT for AUTISM has developed a professional development curriculum specifically for Direct Support Professionals, NEXT for DSP. The curriculum is a model grounded in best practices and developed especially for the most crucial members of the services delivery system--DSPs. The program provides professional support for DSPs while simultaneously creating an improved outcome for the people they work with.
NEXT for AUTISM and The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation hosted a panel event in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 14, 2023, to raise awareness about the importance of businesses offering clear and actionable hiring opportunities for neurodivergent adults. The panelists were Patrick Bardsley, Spectrum Designs, Diane Delaney, IBM, Ferose V.R., SAP, and Jhillika Kumar, Mentra.
At NEXT for AUTISM, we believe that autistic voices should be at the center of creating solutions for the autism community. Lived experiences are a crucial component of meeting needs and driving services forward. In the 2022 cycle we awarded more than $1.3 million awarded to 42 organizations in 20 states; 16 grant awards went to autistic led or centered initiatives.
NEST New York founder Laura Slatkin created this collection in honor of her son David who is profoundly impacted by autism. Hiking outdoors is one of David’s favorite activities.
NEST New York is donating 5% of the purchase price from each Midnight Moss & Vetiver product sold from April 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 to NEXT for AUTISM.
NEXT for AUTISM celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023. Join the NEXT for AUTISM community, to stay informed of our latest programs, news, and impact.
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