Next Step Transitions CIC
Think Human Fund
Mission & History
Founded in 2021, Next Step Transitions CIC was established to address gaps in support for young autistic individuals transitioning to further education, training, or employment. With a specific focus on Northern Ireland, where autism prevalence is notably high, the organization provides tailored support and has expanded to meet increasing demand. Collaborating with families, schools, and businesses, Next Step Transitions CIC aims to enhance outcomes for autistic individuals.
Next Step Transitions CIC is dedicated to ensuring smooth transitions for autistic children into education, training, or employment by providing personalized support. The organization’s goal is to help autistic individuals reach their full potential and contribute to society through customized services, advocacy, and collaboration with families, institutions, and employers. By using models like PACTS, Next Step Transitions works to improve educational and employment outcomes, reduce dropout rates, and enhance overall wellbeing.
Country Information
In Northern Ireland, the prevalence of autism is significantly higher than in the rest of the UK and Ireland—1 in 20 compared to 1 in 100 in England and 1 in 65 in Ireland. This high prevalence impacts individuals’ futures and the broader economy. Autistic individuals face substantial employment challenges, with only 21% in full-time jobs, which affects their mental health and contributes to the highest suicide rates among minority groups. Many young autistic individuals struggle with unmet potential, making support crucial for improving their employment prospects and addressing these negative statistics.
The Need
Young autistic people and their families face well-documented challenges during transitions to higher education, training, or employment. Current support is inadequate, with each autistic person experiencing unique barriers such as anxiety, sensory sensitivities, and rigid routines. These challenges are often not addressed by a one-size-fits-all approach, leading to high dropout rates, loss of confidence, and missed opportunities. Inadequate support can exacerbate mental health issues and increase suicide rates. The lack of understanding that autism is a spectrum contributes to inconsistent treatment and stigma, causing many young autistic people to withdraw rather than seek the help they need.
The Project We Fund
Next Step Transitions provides comprehensive support to help autistic children transition smoothly to education, training, or employment. Key components of the project include:
– Personalized Transition Support: Tailored assistance to meet individual needs.
– Workshops: Life skills workshops covering topics like cooking and money management.
– Wellbeing Sessions and Counseling: Support to enhance mental wellbeing.
– Business Collaboration: Partnering with businesses to offer diverse hiring opportunities and work experience.
The organization utilizes the PACTS (Parents and Carers as Transition Support) model to reduce dropout rates, improve job outcomes, and enhance mental wellbeing.
The Result
Impact is assessed through multiple methods:
– Evaluations: Participants complete evaluations after workshops and at program completion.
– Communication: Regular check-ins with participants and their parents/carers to ensure the program meets their needs.
– Testimonials: Feedback from parents, carers, and schools about the program’s impact.
– Annual Follow-ups: Ongoing assessments with past participants to track progress and current status.
2025 Midterm Report
Next Step Transitions CIC project outlines significant impacts and achievements. The program has directly benefited 50 individuals, and indirectly aided 100 more, including students receiving transition support and their parents who have found reduced anxiety through guidance. The gender breakdown of direct beneficiaries includes 20 females and 30 males, primarily aged between 13-18.
The project has successfully implemented one-on-one and workshop-based support for youths transitioning to further education or employment. An additional initiative for primary school transitions was introduced, impacting several 11-year-olds moving to secondary school.
Testimonies reveal profound personal impacts, such as families finding invaluable support in transition processes and individuals, including those with autism, successfully shifting to desired educational paths. Moreover, beneficiaries have shown improved skills in stress management, resilience, and self-awareness.
Testimonies
“We can’t thank Next Step Transitions enough, as a family they have been so dedicated to helping us as well as my son explore his options and make the transition to College. You will never know what you have done for us as a family. Nothing was ever to much trouble, you made us feel we had so much support and help with you, we really don’t know how to thank you. Next Step Transitions is a great organization with wonderful people.”
“My autistic daughter had to change university courses and go through clearing late on in the process and this seemed like an impossible task, but Next Step Transitions came to the rescue and kept us right. I only wish that every Grammar/Secondary school in NI were aware of such an informative service and were able to make parents aware of their existence. I highly recommend this service to all schools, parents, carers and most importantly the young person needs their assistance.”
“As a mother of an autistic son with extreme anxiety who rarely left his house and had no friends! I cannot express how grateful we are to Next Step Transitions for their outstanding support through our next chapter in life. They helped so much and advocated on our behalf helping my son secure a place in Vocational training and made sure he had the support that he needed.”
