Graduation is a milestone, but what follows often deserves an education of its own.
For autistic and neurodivergent adults, the transition beyond school can bring questions about work, relationships, independence and where to keep learning. In San Rafael, The Helix Adult Academy has opened to help participants explore those questions while developing skills for the lives they want to lead.
Programming began Aug. 24, extending the mission of The Helix School into adulthood. The academy offers continued education alongside opportunities in employment, entrepreneurship, creative expression and community participation. Its approach puts lifelong learning within the practical, social and personal business of adult life.
“The Helix Adult Academy grew from listening to our young people and families and recognizing that growth does not end when someone ages out of a school program,” says Marjorie McMorris, the academy’s executive director and founder, who also founded The Helix School. “Autistic and neurodivergent adults deserve opportunities to continue discovering their strengths, developing their independence, building community and pursuing lives that are meaningful to them.”
That last phrase supplies a useful starting point for understanding the program. An adult education can encompass preparing for employment, developing an artistic practice or acquiring skills that make everyday life more manageable. The academy brings those pursuits into a shared setting, with individualized opportunities intended to support increasingly self-determined lives.
Its programming covers six core areas: lifelong learning, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, community engagement, visual arts and media production, and independent living and life skills. Together, they frame education as something that continues through participation in the world, with room for both practical preparation and personal discovery.
Employment figures prominently, with workforce readiness and entrepreneurship providing distinct avenues for exploration. Creative work, likewise, has its own place through visual arts and media production. Community engagement and life skills broaden the focus to include the relationships and daily activities that help shape a connected, independent adulthood.
The academy offers flexible attendance options and a staffing ratio of one staff member for every two participants. It can serve up to 60 adults, is open for enrollment and has plans for future expansion.
For families considering what comes after school, the availability of a continuing educational community is central to the academy’s stated mission.
“Families should be able to look beyond graduation and see possibility rather than a cliff,” states Dr. Evangelia “Angel” Ward-Jackson, interim executive director of The Helix School. “Knowing there is a community where our graduates and other neurodivergent adults can continue learning, developing relationships, exploring employment and education, and building increasingly self-determined lives is extraordinarily meaningful.”
The school is a specialized independent school and California-certified nonpublic school serving autistic and neurodivergent students. Its educational approach involves collaboration among students, families, educators and clinicians, with attention to individual strengths, needs and potential. The adult academy builds on that philosophy while addressing the next stage of life.
The academy celebrated its opening Sept. 22 with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. Participants, families and local leaders attended, and the program received a city proclamation and recognition from the California State Legislature.
“Autistic and neurodivergent adults deserve meaningful choices, genuine belonging and opportunities to continue growing throughout their lives,” says academy board chair Chantel Walker.
Those ambitions give the academy an educational brief that reaches beyond a classroom. Learning can help someone prepare for a job, find a creative outlet or participate more fully in a community. The next milestone will look different for each participant. The academy’s purpose is to provide support and opportunities along the way.
For enrollment information, visit helixadultacademy.org.
