Insurance Won't Cover It
Health insurance covers therapy sessions but excludes holistic treatments, nutrition plans, and job-readiness training that produce lasting change.
Autism Connect provides autistic individuals with individualized holistic treatment plans, foundational life skills, and vocational training — creating a pathway from therapy to real employment.
The Gap We're Closing
Health insurance pays for autism therapy, but it won't fund the holistic treatments and vocational skills training that autistic individuals need to actually live and work independently. That gap is costing millions of people their futures.
100,000 autistic youth turn 18 every single year — entering adulthood without the skills to survive on their own.
Health insurance covers therapy sessions but excludes holistic treatments, nutrition plans, and job-readiness training that produce lasting change.
Autistic adults face unemployment rates of up to 85%. Without targeted vocational training, their potential goes untapped and their burden falls on families.
Autism therapy is well established across the US. Life skills training and employment pathways for autistic youth are not. Autism Connect fills that void.
Our Methodology
We believe competency is the ability to do something successfully. Our four-stage model builds that competency from the inside out — starting with the body and brain, ending with a meaningful career.
Individualized plans covering nutrition, naturopathy, homeopathy, Tai Chi, and yoga to reduce repetitive behaviors, improve attention, and enhance communication.
Working with holistic healthcare providers to strengthen behavior, mental health, memory, and speech — the foundation for everything that follows.
Applied learning through task analysis, visual supports, and simulated work environments across 13 industry tracks — from retail to renewable energy.
Matching personal strengths and sensory needs to real job postings, building workplace professionalism, and supporting the transition into paid employment.
Training Architecture
Our Work Ready curriculum uses a tiered approach that moves every participant from simple foundational tasks to complex, real-world job simulations — at their own pace.
Building the foundational motor and cognitive skills needed for any work environment. Uses "Task Boxes" and TEACCH Bins to develop stamina, accuracy, and confidence.
Participants choose from 13 real-world industry simulations, each designed around sensory-friendly environments and task analysis methodology.
For participants with higher technical aptitude — advanced certification programs including pathways to the Certified Direct Care Worker (CDCW) credential and Michigan state certification.
Life Skills Curriculum
Real independence requires more than job skills. Our four-domain life skills curriculum addresses every dimension of adult life — from managing a home to navigating the community safely.
Mastery of daily routines in a simulated home environment — our "Skills Site." Covers the fundamentals of independent adult living.
Bridging home to community — safety, self-sufficiency, and financial independence in public spaces. The skills to navigate the real world confidently.
The "soft skills" employers cite as critical gateways to long-term job success — professionalism, communication, and ADA self-advocacy rights.
The "hidden curriculum" of adult life — reading social cues, managing sensory triggers, responding to emergencies, and staying safe online.
For Employers & Organizations
Autistic individuals bring remarkable focus, consistency, and attention to detail to the right role. Our industry tracks prepare Work Ready graduates for your team — and we support the placement and onboarding process every step of the way.
We match graduates to roles based on their strengths, sensory profiles, and your workplace environment — not just a resume.
Our team provides ongoing support during transition, including guidance on workplace accommodations under the ADA.
Help us build training tracks for your sector. Your operational knowledge shapes the curriculum that prepares our graduates for your industry.
Employing individuals with disabilities qualifies businesses for federal tax credits and strengthens your organization's inclusion commitments.
Tell us about your organization and how you'd like to collaborate.
Who We Are
Autism Connect is made up of industry-leading professionals who have come together specifically to support autistic individuals in living independently and finding meaningful work.
Board-Certified Autism Specialists
Medical professionals specializing in ASD
Complementary and integrative medicine
Specialists in vocational and life skills
Business leaders committed to inclusive hiring
Lived experience at the heart of our mission
Make an Impact Today
Your donation funds holistic treatment sessions, training materials, industry simulation labs, and direct vocational support for autistic individuals who have nowhere else to turn.