Global Autism Project
Autism Knows No Borders, Fortunately Neither Do We.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Due to the linguistic, cultural, and geographic barriers in under-resourced communities, outreach in autism services has been limited in the past. In these communities, caregivers are forced to rely on instinct instead of evidence based practices, creating systematic problems like ostracism, seclusion, shame and at times, abuse. Without proper treatment, children with autism are not able to reach their full potential and parents and instructors are left without hope.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
International Partnerships
We partner with existing centers around the world that are working to provide quality autism services to their communities. We train staff and teachers in evidence-based clinical practices as well as administration and outreach in order for their centers to be successful. Additionally, we help run community and parent workshops to increase awareness and understanding of autism. Our model of sustainability means that our teaching methods allow our partners to then be able to teach and disseminate knowledge within their communities.
SkillCorps
Our SkillCorps program is a volunteer travel program for anyone with personal or professional experience with autism, inclusing self-advocates. Applicants are interviewed and selected to be on teams of 8-12 . These teams then travel to our partner sites to deliver on the ground training to the staff and teachers at their centers. This program contributes to the ongoing training that we provide to our partners as well as giving these volunteers an experience of understanding the work of autism service provision in other communities and cultures.
Training & Resources
We offer information and resources on autism education in multiple languages so that anyone around the world can access them.
Our Global Autism Community is an online platform that is available to people around the world that are connected to autism. Our online community is a way to bring people together for support and information.
Autism Knows No Borders podcast was created during the pandemic. The Autism Knows No Borders podcast is a way to bring information, experiences, and personal stories to people around the world. The guests of the podcast are autistic self-advocates, professionals in the field providing support services for the autism community, educators, parents, and siblings.
RAISE
RAISE (or Real Advancement, Independence, Social Skills, and Empowerment) is an adult employment program at our headquarters in New York City. We employ 3 adults with autism, training them in job skills that are generalizable and transferrable. This program has been put on hold since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We look forward to being able to bring it back.
Leadership Academy
Leadership Academy is a six week online training program that trains and develops participants in leadership, communication and other skills that allow them to deal powerfully with life and circumstances. We have had over 200 participants in leadership academy from around the globe.
Operation Care & Comfort
Together, in collaboration with Operation White Stork, Global Autism Project is working to assist with the evacuation from Ukraine and provide 30-day emergency housing vouchers for these displaced families. Additionally, Global Autism Project is coordinating volunteer efforts to establish autism resource centers throughout Europe, staffing these centers with displaced Ukrainian therapists and educators. This project will focus and center on the needs of the community as they are shared with the Global Autism Project team.
The needs of children with autism are highly specialized and make them intrinsically susceptible to the trauma of interrupting their foundational support. As such, the Global Autism Project is collaborating directly with the Autistic Ukrainian population to ensure that there are sustainable services available for displaced families. Currently we are setting up multiple centers in Poland, these centers will serve young children and adolescent autistic people.
Where we work
Awards
Honorary Degree 2019
Columbia University
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Related Program
SkillCorps
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children screened for autism and other developmental delays
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Related Program
International Partnerships
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our organization seeks to create a world where all autistic people are accepted and appreciated by their communities worldwide.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The organization’s long-term strategic plan involves three major components: 1) geographic expansion, 2) independent sustainability and local impact of our current partner sites, and 3) further development of a sustainable, empirically-based model. These are outlined below:
1. Geographic expansion: In addition to our current partners, the Global Autism Project is constantly looking to create impact in new geographic regions by establishing new partnerships. Our dedication to seeking out committed and engaged partners is reflected in the literature on our website geared toward new potential partners, as well as a developed system of “partnership guideposts” to help establish new partnerships. The main qualities that we look for in partners are leadership, social impact, replicability, sustainability, and values. By designing a system in which we are constantly open to new partners, we limit the necessity to recruit future partners, and increase the likelihood that partners who find us are committed to the success of the partnership. This system has successfully worked for establishing all of our present partnerships.
2. Independent sustainability and local impact of our current partner sites: Each partnership is designed to be 5-7 years in length, with the goal being that at the end of the partnership, the partner site will be able to exist independently with a sustainable local impact. For all partnerships it should include independent financial stability, adequate facilities for service provision, independent ethical practice in behavior analysis and clinical practice for children with autism, independent ability to train internal staff in evidence-based practices for autism treatment, independent ability to develop, maintain, and advance curricula as needed, and independent ability to seek out additional resources and support as needed (preferably within their own country, if they exist).
3. Further development of a sustainable, empirically-based model: Ultimately, the model of the Global Autism Project should be structured such that its sustainability is not dependent on contextual or individual factors and is independently replicable as a program. To accomplish this goal, the Global Autism Project is currently working on writing systematic program documents with a goal of publication. Currently, this includes a document of structured “guideposts” for partners, outlining the process of becoming a partner and the objective measures required at each phase. Additionally, the Global Autism Project has produced a seven-domain program evaluation tool called the Site Assessment Survey for Sustainable Intervention (SASSI), designed to assess autism centers at their baseline and measure change over time. The Global Autism Project is currently conducting pilot studies to establish the reliability and validity of the evaluation, again, with a goal of developing an empirically-based tool that can be copyrighted and published.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
By beginning in larger communities and encouraging further dissemination, we ensure that the training provided is accessible and culturally appropriate. By training in not only treatment for autism but advocacy and awareness for individuals with autism, we will build a systematic and growing movement towards full inclusion and acceptance - abolishing the instinct-based treatment and ostracism, abuse, and seclusion of individuals with autism.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have expanded to 13 partner sites and continue to expand that number, reaching a further and more global audience.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Global Autism Project
Board of directorsas of 06/28/2022
Fatema Hamdani
Nundiah Danielle Edwards
Joseph Cuello
Fatema Hamdani
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/20/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.