ORLANDO, Fla. — A $1 million state grant is helping adults with autism receive valuable vocational training to prepare them for the job market in Central Florida. 

What You Need To Know

  • State grant funds are being used to provide training to neurodiverse adults in Central Florida
  • Those with autism are learning how to repair mobile phones and devices as a possible career thanks to the nonprofit nonPareil
  • Johnathan’s Landing has created the million-device drive to collect broken, used and new mobile devices that are used to train neurodiverse adults

The nonprofit, nonPareil, works with adults with autism spectrum disorder to prepare them for a self-sustaining career and personal independence.

Specialists have found that people with autism are typically hyper-focused with screen-based technologies, often having an interest in how things operate.

So, nonPareil has partnered with the Jonathan’s Landing Foundation and their company Techtonic to provide 700 neurodiverse adults with training in the mobile device repair industry. 

Student Destiny Luna said the training is valuable in preparing for a job.

“It’s kind of a struggle because growing up, I never really got that kind of support. And why nonPareil is really wonderful is because it prepares you for the workplace setting. It helps you get hired,” said Luna.

Johnathan’s Landing Foundation CEO Kimberly McCarten said the trainees get real hands-on experience. 

“So, they are going station to station, learning what it would be like to diagnose a phone, take a part a laptop. Remove parts from a laptop and fix it,” she explained.

The Johnathan’s Landing Foundation is looking to build a community in Orlando for those living on the spectrum where over 500 adults can someday live and work. 

Johnathan’s landing has created the million-device drive to collect broken, used and new mobile devices that are used to train neurodiverse adults.