Welcome to In Good Co., your weekly dispatch on neurodiversity and causes worth caring about.

🟣 Stimmates® Spotlight

The Rocky Road to Adulthood: What Happens After High School Ends?

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Eye-Opening Stat: Only 1 in 3 autistic teens attend college or secure employment within two years of graduation (Autism Speaks, 2022)

The transition from structured education to adulthood is more like a cliff than a bridge for autistic teens and their families. Services that were once mandated through IEPs or EHCPs practically vanish overnight.

This isn’t just hard on families; it’s a systemic failure.

What we need:

  • Supported Employment: Programs that provide job coaching, skill-building, and ongoing support.
  • Mentorship: Opportunities for neurodivergent youth to connect with mentors who can help them navigate the professional world.
  • Inclusive Education: Higher education institutions and trade schools with dedicated support services.
“It feels like we’re tossed off a cliff and told to land on our feet.”
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The Co.’s Take: Don’t wait for big life changes to discuss the future. Ask your school today what their long-term transition plan looks like for students with autism. Advocate for a plan that extends beyond the classroom and into a career.
  • For Educators: Work with local businesses and colleges to create clear pathways for neurodivergent students. Facilitate mentorship programs, job shadowing, and opportunities that help build skills and confidence.
  • For Employers: Create an internship or mentorship program for neurodivergent youth. You’ll not only tap into an innovative talent pool, but you’ll demonstrate a clear commitment to inclusivity that builds consumer trust.

Until we bridge this gap, we’ll keep isolating neurodivergent teens. Let’s work together so neurodivergent young adults have the support and opportunities they need to thrive.

Learn more at Stimmates®, a welcoming, safe space for neurodivergent people and their families to connect and thrive. Explore resources, share authentic experiences, and find support designed to make life a little less isolating.

🟠 Communitees™ Corner

Hollywood Meets Humanity: The Colin Farrell Foundation

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Eye-Opening Stat: By age 21, most disabled youth lose eligibility for public services, with no continuity plan. (National Council on Disability, 2023)

Colin Farrell may be best known for his acting, but off-screen, he’s a father to a son with Angelman Syndrome and a powerful advocate for neurodivergent families.

The Colin Farrell Foundation has spent years funding programs that fill the void left behind after disabled teens become adults. This is a cause that desperately needs more celebrities and champions in its corner, so the support doesn’t stop when the cameras stop rolling.

“The struggles of a child with special needs can be so brutal that they tear at the very fabric of your heart.”
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The Co.’s Take: Start local. What happens to neurodivergent young adults in your community after they age out of school-based support? Do you know of any local organizations that are helping? If there’s no clear answer, you’ve just found your mission.

Support your local grassroots orgs. Seek out groups that are doing the hard work on the ground. These are the orgs building those essential bridges, brick by brick. Here are a few in the US and UK to get you started:

  • Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN): A US-based organization run by and for autistic people, advocating for policy change and providing resources like their fantastic "Roadmap to Transition" handbook.
  • National Autistic Society (NAS): The UK's leading charity for autistic people and their families, offering a wide range of services, advice, and advocacy.
  • The Arc: A large US-based organization that provides a wide range of services and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Mencap: A UK charity that works with people with learning disabilities and their families to promote inclusion and independence.
  • Disability Belongs: A US-based nonprofit that works to advance the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities, with a focus on employment, education, and political engagement.
  • Disability Rights UK: A UK-based charity run by and for disabled people, providing advice and campaigning for equal participation.

Learn more at Communitees™, where cause-driven apparel gives more visibility to missions that matter. We collaborate with nonprofits, artists, and advocates to amplify messages of hope, equity, and change.

🔵 Advocacy Angle

Disenfranchised by Design: Disabling the Right to Vote

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Stat Check: 1 in 7 U.S. voters has a disability, yet over 11 million face voting barriers. (Rutgers University)

Voting is supposed to be the most basic right in a democracy. But for disabled citizens across the U.S. and many other countries, it’s a logistical, technological, and bureaucratic nightmare.

From laws that exclude neurodivergent voters to polling places without ramps or ballots without audio, the system isn’t just outdated, it’s exclusionary. It’s not just physical barriers. It’s digital, legal, and procedural ones, too.

This is voter suppression by design.

“We aren’t choosing not to vote. We’re fighting for the chance to.”

In 2024, the U.S. saw an uptick in accessibility lawsuits across multiple states. Meanwhile, voter turnout for disabled adults lags nearly 6 percentage points behind non-disabled peers.

Despite protections under the ADA (in the U.S.) and Equality Acts (UK, EU), there’s no consistent training or accountability.

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The Co.’s Take: When disabled voters are blocked from the ballot, the problem is systemic. Most voting access laws rely on compliance. Until accessibility is audited, monitored, and mandated with the same rigor as voter ID checks or ballot security, disabled citizens will keep being excluded.

✅ Turn awareness into action.

  • US: Call your Secretary of State and ask about ballot accessibility.
  • UK & EU: Push for polling accommodations to be enforced, not just recommended.
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Need help tracking down your country’s resources? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments, and we’ll track them down for you.

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Every issue closes with a little something to carry forward into your day. Call it some good fuel for reflection.

🎵 Sing w/the Co. | 1612 by Vulfpeck

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Editor’s Note: Funky, weird, old-school grooves. Another one of my son’s favs. There’s something incredibly joyful about singing this song.

📚 Read w/the Co. | Disability Visibility by Alice Wong

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Tw…
One in five people in the United States lives with a di…
GoodreadsAlice Wong
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Editor’s Note: Raw, funny, and furious contemporary essays by disabled people. Full of power and perspective.

📺 Watch w/the Co. | Normal Isn’t Real (Documentary)

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Editor’s Note: Stories from 4 neurodivergent adults navigating work, college, and life on their own terms. A refreshing take on what success really looks like.
“I choose not to place ‘DIS’ in my ability.”

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