the problem

"Employment provides and important link to financial independence, health insurance, benefits, and social relationships." AJ Drexel Autism Institute's Employment Outcomes Of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum, 2015 Publication.  Yet...

lose services

500,000 young adults with ASD will age out of SCHOOL-BASED services in the next 10 years

lack of paid jobs

Only 14% of people with autism hold a regular paid job

lowest outcomes

People with ASD have the lowest employment rate across all disabilities

The solution

We solve the community's autism employment problem with our social procurement solutions!
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Assembling and Shipping FWA Sensory Bags and Boxes in our Sensory Shop
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Publishing, Editing, Writing, Interviewing for our FWA Magazine

our social enterprise

Making Strides For Autism, Inc. (MS4A) is launching the Friends With Autism Employment Program in the Fall of 2018.  MS4A is a social enterprise, utilizing business principles to fulfill one of its social missions of providing career experience and employing adults with autism. The first enterprise will be a “Sensory Shop” business that offers our Friends With Autism Sensory Bags and Boxes  to businesses, schools, municipalities, military installations, and nonprofits. Our bags help provide reasonable accommodations in entertainment and sports venues, libraries, theaters, storm shelters, restaurants, hotels, physician offices, hospitals/ERs, airports, airlines, military bases, and any place that may limit access and inclusion to people with autism and invisible disabilities.
Our employees create handmade weighted lap pads for our bags along with women veterans, assemble, pack, ship our products nationwide, as well as other related general office duties.  These tasks give our employees’ an opportunity to use their unique attention to detail and provide a structured work environment. As well as improving their employment social skills, motor skills, and confidence.  Our customers receive products that help improve the quality of life for their customers with autism, PTSD, high anxiety, and other invisible disabilities.  Our employees' are truly helping to make communities more inclusive and accessible year-round!
The second is our Friends With Autism Magazine. Our digital magazine was launched February 2018 and is Northeast Florida’s ONLY magazine for Autism Spectrum Disorder. MS4A partners with University of North Florida's THRIVE program, local colleges, and universities to help students on the autism spectrum gain career experience and employment in their fields of study.  Our student magazine team major in business, marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, photography, videography, and filmmaking.  Through our magazine and partnerships we're helping businesses and community partners achieve a reputation of social responsibility through cause-related marketing and sponsorship. Both enterprises help fulfill our Value Proposition and ensure, We Connect the Community to Autism.

start your neurodiversity employment pilot

We also work to shift the autism unemployment rate by offering consulting and partnering with businesses in our community to help create Neurodiversity Employment Pilots.  We help employers create a competitive advantage by updating their Talent Acquisition processes to screen-in versus screening-out their next best employee.   Let us help you diversify your employment pool.  Contact our office at info@makingstridesforautism.org.