Yes She Can Incorporated

Yes She Can helps young women with autism spectrum disorders and related social and learning disabilities develop essential skills for employment and independence. Program participants receive professional coaching in an immersive and authentic business environment, with a comprehensive curriculum and rigorous evaluation protocol. More than 80 percent of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed. Traditional approaches to help people with developmental disabilities to become employed have not been effective for people with autism. Yes She Can's distinctive difference is our approach of teaching core skills in an authentic business setting with collaboration among experts in autism and in business. We serve young women ages 18-28, who want to become employed. As some of the participants have graduated from college or are attending college classes, while others have completed high school; most participants do not have any other activities in their lives. The program is based on an integrated ecosystem: trainees, coaches, peer mentors, curriculum, merchandise donations, and customers. The resale store is run for the explicit purpose of training including interacting with the public, enabling trainees to practice skills and enabling the public to gain first-hand experience with workers with disabilities. More than 90 percent of merchandise for the resale boutique is provided by donations. Yes She Can staff coaches all have master's degrees. We pair volunteer coaches who are social workers and psychologists with our professional staff coaches to extend our capacity and serve more trainees with greater supports. Volunteers are retired educators, speech pathologists, and other related health professionals. Yes She Can does not provide job development or job placement. Participants qualify for services from ny state vocational rehabilitation services (acces-vr). Most participants qualify for medicaid waiver services through ny state office for people with developmental disabilities (opwdd). The organizations funded by these agencies are responsible for job development and placement.