Organizational and Individual Change: The Road to Inclusion By: Brad Walker and John Bryson, MS Ed, CESP As featured on Autism Spectrum News People with disabilities face many documented barriers to full inclusion in society. According to Article 3 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, one of the primary […]
community living
Changing the Paradigm for How Adults with Autism Thrive
April 2, 2021 This last year has been a remarkable and challenging year for everyone. We have all experienced incalculable loss — of life, of opportunity, and of our daily patterns of living. For the community NEXT for AUTISM proudly serves, the isolation brought on by COVID-19 restrictions has only magnified the many disparities that […]
Women and Autism: Facts and Figures
March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate and acknowledge the women in our community, we have been sharing facts about women and autism throughout the month. Did you know? Autism is 4 times more common in boys than girls, and women are diagnosed with autism later in life and less frequently than men. There […]
What’s next for NEXT for AUTISM?
Did you know there are 5.4 million adults living with autism in the United States? While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been collecting data and releasing information about the prevalence of autism in children for decades, 2020 marks the first time the CDC has reported on adults. If the past is prelude, availability […]
Grantee Spotlight: Shepherd’s Way
Community Heroes Shepherd’s Way By now, we’ve heard stories about individuals stepping up to support their communities during the pandemic, but this one is special. At Shepherd’s Way, a shared living program in Wichita, Kansas, the community heroes are adults with autism, who during the quarantine are so committed to their community that they’ve returned […]
A Letter From Ilene Lainer – April 2, 2020
As I write this letter, the global health crisis has firmly taken hold in New York City, NEXT for AUTISM’s home. I’m relieved to report that our staff is doing well, having adjusted to working remotely with agility and speed. NEXT for AUTISM is fully operational online. Consistent with our mission, we are planning for […]
Staying Positive: Some Helpful Tips
By Patricia Wright, Ph.D. MPH Patricia Wright, Senior VP of Program Development, offers her thoughts on how parents might mitigate anxiety for themselves and their children with autism during tough times. This is a fluid situation. Stay informed but try not to check your newsfeed constantly. This will contribute to your anxiety, which will be […]
20/20 Vision in 2020- A Letter from Ilene Lainer
As we enter a new decade, I’ve been thinking back on our work over the last ten years. Each of the programs that we built began with one common drive – to think forward and envision new possibilities for individuals and families living with autism. I look forward to the next decade, and am committed […]
Thinking Forward – April 2, 2019
We entered 2019 redoubling our efforts not only to build excellent model programs for people with autism and their families, but also to better define ourselves as an organization. I’d like to share some of our evolving insights with you, as they are our guide to moving forward. We Reimagine Autism Services. NEXT for AUTISM […]
The Coming Care Crisis as Kids With Autism Grow Up
The personal challenges and systemic barriers faced by adults with autism and their families are, indeed, as profound as outlined in The Atlantic article below. Life for adults with autism can be devoid of opportunity and hope. For parents, navigating a confusing system of support and facing an uncertain future are sources of unrelenting anguish, […]
A Message from Ilene Lainer – December 2018
2018 was a year of strategic planning as well as empowerment at NEXT for AUTISM. Our leadership looked back at 15 years of program building and planned forward. The process challenged us and affirmed our commitment to always ask, “What’s NEXT for autism?” This year, we focused our energies on creating opportunities for adults, the […]
A Message from Ilene Lainer
When the United Nations declared the first World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd, 2007, NEXT for AUTISM was already four years old. We had opened the NYC Autism Charter School, our first model program, and we were actively tackling the lack of quality services for individuals with autism and their families. We were then, and […]
