Meristem's Transformative Autism Program TAP

06/26/2025

Mental health matters. We're happy to see friend of TAP and Forbes contributor Michael Bernick shine a light on workforce programs aimed at helping those of us with mental health challenges.

Can someone with a severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, severe depression or anxiety) find a place in the job world? A new job model seeks to show how.

06/04/2025

Shout out to our partners at California Conservation Corps for their work with Meristem. We've had a successful collaboration placing autistic and neurodiverse crews with the program and this latest collaboration is the beginning of deeper work together. Bravo!

05/13/2025

Our podcast has over 1,000 downloads! 🥳

Thank you to everyone who has listened to an episode, shared it with a friend, or supported us on social media. We are excited about continuing to grow our podcast community and provide valuable resources to job seekers and employers everywhere!

THANK YOU!! 🎉

04/02/2025

Are you ready to partner with us and TAP into a highly supported and motivated workforce?? Here are 2 ways to partner with us:

1️⃣ Engage with our comprehensive training virtually, in-person, or on-demand via our website at tapautism.org. We have provided this training to over 200 employers throughout CA!

2️⃣ Work with us to bring motivated neurodiverse people into your workforce! Partner with us on one of many partially or fully financed internships and allow your company to be a workforce training center.

⭐️ We’ve worked with so many amazing organizations over the last year. Who’s next? ⭐️

Contact TAP Director Eric Steward to learn more and get started (contact info at the end)!

03/12/2025

A new episode of Voices of Community is LIVE! 🤩

This month, we sat down with Shea Smith, director of Meristem’s Day Program, to talk about her personal journey raising two neurodiverse children and how the Day Program works. Check it out anywhere you listen to podcasts! 🎧

02/14/2025

A new podcast episode is out! This month, we are joined by Grant Harris, a diversity executive and founder of GTH Consulting, a firm dedicated to showing businesses how to incorporate DEI “from the mailroom to the boardroom.”

Head to the link in our bio to give it a listen!

01/22/2025

The first podcast episode of 2025 is LIVE!

Harry and Erin interviewed New York Times best-selling author J.D. Barker and they talked all about the intersection of autism and creativity — J.D.’s personal journey with a late diagnosis and how he feels that autism equipped him for success as an author.

If you’re a reader, writer, or creative, this episode is for you! Check it out wherever you get your podcasts. Link is in our bio!

12/19/2024

Our last episode for the year is LIVE! Harry and Erin sat down with Ivon Perez, the manager of the Goodwill Expandability Program, to talk about how Goodwill and TAP are partnering together to break workforce barriers for ALL.

We also threw in a little recap of our year, and some tips for other organizations who are looking to improve their workforce inclusivity.

🔗 Link in our bio to listen! Anywhere you get podcasts.

12/17/2024

When we launched this podcast last year, it was out of a desire to share experiences and let everyone from job seekers to community members know that breaking barriers is POSSIBLE!

Now a year later, our podcast has grown 150%, and it’s all because of you! Thank you for listening and supporting our podcast. New episodes coming soon!

12/16/2024

Last week, Meristem (and TAP!) was selected by to share our experience with STEP and helping 16-21 year olds earn 80-120 hours of paid work experience through the summer and fall.

Through partnering with STEP, we were able to effectively align employers with neurodiverse young adults and help guide them through a paid internship. And, we’ve already been awarded funding to run this program a second year!

This is the work that TAP is hoping to continue to bring across the entire state! Connecting real workers with real experiences and real learning.

Interested? Visit tapautism.org to learn more!

12/04/2024

Are you an employer interested in breaking workforce barriers? Swipe to find out how you and your organization can take our free training on inclusive employment! 🤩

Interested in TAP? Learn more at tapautism.org.

11/12/2024

Harry and Erin sit down and talk about anxiety – how anxiety impacts a neurodiverse mind, their own personal journeys with anxiety, and how employers can best support their neurodiverse employees through anxiety.

In this episode:
⭐️ Anxiety and the neurodiverse mind, and how TAP approaches identifying anxiety triggers in with their job seekers
⭐️ Harry and Erin’s personal journeys with anxiety
⭐️ Tips for employers in navigating potential anxiety triggers in neurodiverse employees
⭐️ TAP and Meristem’s approach to job readiness and best strategies for preparing neurodiverse job seekers for the workforce

…and more!