NEXT for AUTISM Expands Innovative Fellowship Program to Help Address the Direct Support Professional Shortage

Work-based scholarship program welcomes its largest cohort to date, combining tuition assistance, paid employment, and hands-on experience supporting autistic individuals

NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As organizations across the country face a growing shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), NEXT for AUTISM, a leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming services for autistic adults, is expanding an innovative work-based scholarship program that helps meet this need while combining tuition assistance for qualifying college and graduate students with paid work experience assisting neurodivergent adults.

This fall, NEXT for AUTISM will welcome 37 college and graduate students into the fourth year of its NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS program – its largest scholarship cohort to date – while expanding into three new regions. The program now supports 60 active Fellows, nearly doubling its size and broadening its impact across the country.

DSPs provide essential day-to-day support that helps individuals with autism and other disabilities. Yet providers nationwide continue to face persistent workforce shortages and high turnover.

NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS provides tuition assistance to qualified health and human services students, along with paid work experience as DSPs serving neurodivergent adults. FELLOWS was created to address the ongoing DSP hiring crisis, while simultaneously educating the next generation of health care professionals about how to best support autistic individuals who may have greater support needs. Beyond their hands-on experience, Fellows meet quarterly to explore NEXT for DSP, a person-centered framework developed by NEXT for AUTISM around Choice, Belonging, Healthy Living, and Lifelong Learning, and how these principles support their current and future work.

"The need for skilled Direct Support Professionals has never been greater, but the impact of this work extends far beyond the time spent as a DSP," said Gillian Leek, CEO of NEXT for AUTISM. "Through FELLOWS, students gain invaluable skills in communication, leadership and empathy that they can carry into any career they choose, creating lasting impact for autistic adults and communities."

Since launching in 2023, the program has awarded 80 scholarships, with FELLOWS contributing nearly 40,000 hours of direct support in the field. During the 2026-27 academic year, the program will nearly double in size to 60 active FELLOWS, significantly expanding its reach while continuing to build the next generation of professionals serving autistic adults.

"What makes this program so powerful is that everyone benefits. Autistic adults receive more consistent, trained support, and students gain the kind of real-world experience that cannot be taught in a classroom alone and will stay with them throughout their careers," said Abigayle Jayroe, SVP of Strategic Initiatives.

This year the FELLOWS program expands to Essex County, NJ; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Monticello, NY, joining existing partnerships in New York City; Westchester County, NY; Philadelphia, PA; and Chicago, IL. The addition of San Juan marks the program's first presence outside the continental United States, extending NEXT's reach into an underserved region with strong demand for trained DSPs.

"Working as a Direct Support Professional gave me the opportunity to continue my education while gaining a much deeper understanding of autistic adults and their experiences," said Nancy Elsohafy, a NEXT for AUTISM Fellow. "The scholarship support and paid, hands-on experience provided through the FELLOWS program helped make it possible for me to complete my master's degree and continue into a Ph.D. program in cognitive neuroscience. What I learned through this work will stay with me as I pursue a career in research, and I believe that experience supporting autistic adults directly will make me a more thoughtful and informed professional."

The program's continued growth is made possible through generous support from The Louis J. and June E. Kay Foundation, The Taft Foundation and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. The 2027 NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS Scholarship cycle will open in January 2027.

About NEXT for AUTISM

NEXT for AUTISM is the leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism by strategically designing, launching, and supporting innovative initiatives.

NEXT remains steadfast in its quest to change the paradigm for how individuals with autism thrive throughout their adult lives. This is done by leveraging a broad range of autistic and neurotypical stakeholders and partnering with national organizations, regional agencies, and local entities to enhance services and maximize resources. Learn more at NEXTforAUTISM.org

Media Contact
Hannah Davis
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SOURCE NEXT for AUTISM, Inc