Project Next, Palm Beach School for Autism’s transition program designed to support individuals with autism as they navigate adulthood. This program offers a comprehensive range of skills, including job training, essential life skills, self-care techniques, self-advocacy strategies, and leisure activities. By focusing on a well-rounded approach, ‘Project Next’ aims to foster participants’ personal growth and self-confidence. This program exemplifies our commitment to helping individuals with autism transition smoothly into adulthood, promoting their strengths and enabling them to build a fulfilling future.

Project Next, reflects our dedication to inclusivity and empowerment. This program provides a balanced curriculum that covers job training, life skills development, self-care practices, self-advocacy skills, and recreational options. Through Project Next, we strive to offer individuals with autism the tools they need to confidently embrace adulthood. Our emphasis on a holistic approach has allowed us to create a program that supports and impacts personal growth and independence, shaping a more fulfilling path forward.

Embarking on a journey of self-discovery, our trainees in Project Next have the unique opportunity to delve into a spectrum of potential career pathways within our local community. As part of our commitment to fostering growth and independence, we’ve established enriching partnerships with community enterprises, including Duffy’s Sports Grill, The Outback Steakhouse, Kolter Hospitality/Hyatt Place, and Barnes & Noble.

Through these dynamic collaborations, our young adults with autism are empowered to access comprehensive job training experiences, guided by job coaches. The benefits of this community-centered training are boundless as trainees immerse themselves in real-world work environments. In these settings, they acquire effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving, soft skills, and a newfound confidence that paves the way for a fulfilling future.

At Palm Beach School for Autism, we are dedicated to sculpting an inclusive tomorrow, where every individual has the opportunity to flourish. Our innovative community-based job training program symbolizes a bridge to independence, self-assuredness, and a world of meaningful possibilities for young adults with autism. Join us in shaping a brighter future, one enriched by diversity and shared achievements.

Embedded within our campus, Project Next has a comprehensive program that focuses on essential life skills, self-care, and experiential learning through micro-enterprises. As part of this initiative, students engage in activities such as managing our e-commerce venture, Exit 8480—a gift box business that offers practical entrepreneurial experience. Our campus is further equipped with a commercial kitchen and full-service cafe, Café Next, providing hands-on opportunities for students to develop practical skills. To enhance their readiness for the workforce, a mock hotel room featuring a commercial washer and dryer facilitates practice sessions, enabling students to gain confidence before potentially joining the team at Hyatt Hotels. Project Next brings a practical dimension to learning, enabling students to thrive in diverse real-world settings and fostering their journey towards independence.

Within Project Next, our recreation and leisure component is a vital thread in fostering independence among young adults. Seamlessly integrated into the program, this component encompasses a variety of essential life skills. Through engaging Community-Based Instruction, our participants learn to navigate their community. From travel training to navigating a grocery store and even ordering in a restaurant, our young adults acquire practical skills that empower them to embrace the world around them. Participants learn ways to socialize, relax, explore avenues for recreation, and gain budgeting skills. This comprehensive approach equips our young adults for the future, promoting both independence and active engagement in their community.