NEXT for AUTISM's Night of Too Many Stars Grants Program funds initiatives and organizations across the United States whose programs improve the outcomes for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families in the following areas:
- Educational: Children with autism often find it challenging to learn in typical circumstances. NEXT for AUTISM supports exceptional schools that teach children with autism to learn, communicate, read and gain fundamental life-long skills.
- Social: A core challenge for people with autism is socializing. After school and weekend programs help them learn to relate to others in a social setting and make friends.
- Vocational: Students with autism exiting school face high rates of unemployment. Hands-on programs teach students and young adults to work and succeed in a work setting.
- Community-Based: Disconnection and isolation are more common for people with autism than many other disabilities. Community living options, recreation, arts, athletic and volunteer programs help connect people with autism to their communities.
- Safety: Interaction between people with autism and first responders, generally law enforcement, can lead to misunderstandings. NEXT for SAFETY, a new initiative, supports organizations that serve the autism community to improve awareness of autism among first responders, and to help families and individuals learn to navigate safety issues.
This year, in addition to the existing funding areas, NEXT for AUTISM will prioritize proposals for NEXT for SAFETY.
NEXT for SAFETY, a new initiative, offers the opportunity for organizations that serve the autism community
- to collaborate with first responders, generally law enforcement, to raise awareness and improve public safety for people with autism, and/or
- to help families and individuals learn to navigate safety issues that are specific to people on the autism spectrum.
Key to receiving funding is the innovation and creativity of the organization's outreach efforts and the quality of those efforts. Organizations that have links to, or contact with, local police organizations willing to participate in training will be given preference. Should a grantee not have a relationship with a safety training organization, NEXT will provide a list of potential training organizations with which to work.