ABOUT US

Our mission is to unlock life’s potential for young adults with autism.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Autism After 18 was created to help young adults with autism progress toward independent lives, whether in terms of socialization, education or starting careers. The organization was started by Margaret and Erik Neelsen in 2016 when their son Ryan was a senior in High School.

Five Keys to Independence

We believe that supporting these five keys to independence will help such young adults toward successful, independent lives.

  1. Nurture relationships and friendships
  2. Foster learning, for classroom and real-life situations
  3. Facilitate professional opportunities
  4. Educate our communities about autism
  5. Identify unique talents and embrace differences among young adults with autism


Board of Directors

Margaret Golding Neelsen

Chairperson

Áine Walsh Kelley

Vice-Chairperson

Caroline Diffley

Secretary

Reg Davies

Treasurer

Barbara Tobias Josephs

Member at Large