{{Short description|Non-profit organization focusing on the needs of autistic people and their families}} {{Use American English|date=April 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox Charity | full_name = Next for Autism | image = New York Collaborates for Autism Logo.gif | caption = Former logo | formation = {{start date and age|2002|08|30}}<ref name= corp>"[https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/getcontent?guid={9B1A42DF-8F1F-4AB8-9938-0859BAD78BFA}&orgid=20-45-54&title=Registration%20Statement%20for%20Charitable%20Organizations&project=Charities Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of New York Collaborates for Autism Inc.]". ''NEXT for Autism Inc''. Office of the New York State Attorney General. Accessed on October 4, 2025.</ref> | founder = Laura Slatkin<br/>Harry Slatkin<br/>Ilene Lainer | type = 501(c)(3) non-profit | headquarters = New York, New York, United States | website = https://www.nextforautism.org/ }}
'''Next for Autism''' is an American non-profit organization founded in 2002<ref name= corp/> to address the needs of autistic people and their families. The organization was founded by Laura and Harry Slatkin and Ilene Lainer. One of Next for Autism's most well known accomplishments was opening the first charter school in New York to exclusively serve autistic students.<ref>Schaeffer, Georgina, "Lighting the Way", Quest Magazine, November 2008, p. 92-93</ref>
Every two years, Next for Autism partners with Comedy Central to produce an autism benefit called "Night of Too Many Stars". The event features performances from various comedians frequently including Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and George Clooney.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cc.com/|title=Comedy Central Official Site - TV Show Full Episodes & Funny Video Clips|website=Comedy Central}}</ref>
The organization also founded Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism, a program to help autistic high school students transition from school to work.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}} In June 2013, they opened the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain on the New York-Presbyterian Westchester campus to provide clinical services to autistic people throughout their lives.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/12/autism-center-opens/2417503/|title=State-of-art autism center opens in upstate N.Y.|website=USA TODAY}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2025|reason=The article says one of Next for Autism's founders provided funding for the center, not that the center was developed, overseen or run by Next for Autism.}}
Next for Autism provides grants to organizations to assist autistic people in the areas of employment opportunities, living environments, social engagement, healthcare and mental health support.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nextforautism.org/faqs-grants/|title=Guidelines and FAQs|publisher=Next for Autism|access-date=2025-10-06}}</ref>
The organization began as the New York Center for Autism, then changed its name to New York Collaborates for Autism in 2012. It has since changed its name to Next for Autism.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-27|title=Autism Benefit To Air On HBO|url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/10/27/autism-benefit-to-air-on-hbo/24353/|access-date=2021-01-23|website=Disability Scoop|language=en}}</ref>
In April 2021, Mark Rober and Jimmy Kimmel announced they would be hosting a live stream in support of Next for Autism.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=2021-04-16|title=Jimmy Kimmel and Mark Rober to Host YouTube Livestream Event for Autism Awareness|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/jimmy-kimmel-mark-rober-youtube-autism-1234953387/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> By May 1, they had raised over $3 million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-30|title=Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O'Brien, Charlize Theron and More Help Raise $3M for Next for Autism|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-conan-obrien-charlize-theron-next-for-autism-fundraiser|access-date=2021-05-01|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}}</ref>
The organization and its leadership have been criticized by members of the autistic community, in part, for supporting the idea of curing or preventing autism,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-16 |title=Boycott Color the Spectrum, Finance the Spectrum Instead |url=https://crippledscholar.com/2021/04/20/boycott-color-the-spectrum-finance-the-spectrum-instead/ |access-date=2021-12-14 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Crichton |first=Maddie |date=2021-04-20 |title=Mark Rober Faces Backlash Over NEXT For Autism Fundraiser |url=https://roguerocket.com/2021/04/20/mark-rober-faces-backlash/ |access-date=2021-12-14 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214151706/https://roguerocket.com/2021/04/20/mark-rober-faces-backlash/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> collaborating with Autism Speaks<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> (a controversial autism-focused nonprofit<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maimann |first=Kevin |date=2025-01-10 |title=Autism Speaks is leaving Canada. Is that a good thing? |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/autism-speaks-leaving-canada-1.7424503 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ulatowski |first=Rachel |date=2024-12-09 |title=The Autism Speaks Controversy, Explained |url=https://www.themarysue.com/the-autism-speaks-controversy-explained/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Luterman |first=Sara |date=2020-02-14 |title=Perspective {{!}} The biggest autism advocacy group is still failing too many autistic people |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/14/biggest-autism-advocacy-group-is-still-failing-too-many-autistic-people/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>) and endorsing applied behavior analysis<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=What the Heck Is ABA, Anyway? {{!}} Psychology Today |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inspectrum/202105/what-the-heck-is-aba-anyway |last=Lutz |first=Amy S.F.|authorlink=Amy S.F. Lutz |date=2021-05-16| access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Psychology Today |language=en-US}}</ref> (a controversial operant-conditioning system commonly marketed as a treatment for autism and widely rejected within the autistic rights movement<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Winter |first=Jessica |date=2024-02-12 |title=The Argument Over a Long-Standing Autism Intervention |url=https://www.newyorker.com/science/annals-of-medicine/the-argument-over-a-long-standing-autism-intervention |access-date=2025-10-04 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Beth |date=2024-03-06 |title=America's Most Popular Autism Therapy May Not Work — and May Seriously Harm Patients' Mental Health |url=https://www.the74million.org/article/americas-most-popular-autism-therapy-may-not-work-and-may-seriously-harm-patients-mental-health/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-10 |title=The controversy over autism's most common therapy |url=https://www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/controversy-autisms-common-therapy/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives |language=en-US}}</ref>). The New York charter school founded by Next for Autism bases its teaching methods on the principles of applied behavior analysis.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Mission {{!}} NYC Autism Charter School |url=https://www.nycautismcharterschool.org/our-mission/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NYC AUTISM CHARTER SCHOOL |url=https://nextforautism.org/our-work/nyc-autism-charter-school/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=NEXT For AUTISM |language=en-US}}</ref> As of 2025, four applied behavior analysis practitioners (Rebecca Turcios, Dawn Buffington Townsend, Mari Cerda and Nasiah Cirincione-Ulezi) sit on Next for Autism's advisory board.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Team |url=https://nextforautism.org/about/our-team/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=NEXT For AUTISM |language=en-US}}</ref> The organization characterizes criticism of applied behavior analysis as largely outdated; it also claims it rejects eugenics and does not support curing or preventing autism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://nextforautism.org/about/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=NEXT For AUTISM |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://www.nextforautism.org/}}
Category:Autism-related organizations based in the United States Category:2002 establishments in New York City Category:Mental health organizations based in New York (state) Category:American organizations established in 2002