Nationwide, 1 in 44 people is identified as autistic[1] in Minnesota, where more evaluation services are available, the rate is 1 in 36.[2] Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a pervasive, neurological, and developmental disability that can include impairment in reciprocal social communication and social interaction, sensory intensity, and restricted,…

Representing one of the highest rates in the country, one in every 42 children in Minnesota is identified with autism spectrum disorder. Without intervention, adolescents risk a sharp decline in social support, stalled neurological progress, and a marked increase in depression and anxiety. Often shut off from educational and social supports that were available in childhood, adolescents experience significant roadblocks as they strive for independence. Similarly, young adults with autism can feel isolated and undervalued as members of our community. This project seeks to shift the status quo by pairing teens and adults with autism in one-to-one mentoring relationships as part of a…