In the growing movement toward neurodiversity-affirming research and practice, one program stands out for its interdisciplinary design and adult-focus: the PAUSE Program, developed at Boston University Sargent College.

This pilot study addresses a vital yet often under-served population — autistic adults living with anxiety, depression, and the challenge of self-compassion. It offers a compelling model for how innovation in mental health care can align with inclusive, strengths-based frameworks.

Why this matters
For many autistic adults, mental-health challenges such as anxiety and depression remain persistent. Traditional interventions may not always be tailored to neurodivergent experience, and many supports drop off in adulthood. The PAUSE Program fills an important gap by creating an online, structured workshop that respects neurodiversity, integrates lived-experience perspectives, and offers practical coaching.

In the broader context of social impact and innovation, this initiative demonstrates how inclusive, human-centred design can lead to more equitable outcomes — particularly when researchers partner with community voices.

What the PAUSE Program involves

• The PAUSE Program is a manualized intervention developed for autistic adults aged 18+.

• It will deliver six synchronous sessions (90 minutes each) in an online format, led by a multidisciplinary instructional team (clinical psychologist + autistic adult educator/advocate) focused on depression, anxiety, self-compassion, and applying these lessons in daily life.

• Participants will also receive individual coaching to support real-life application of these skills.

• Importantly, it is informed by an advisory board of autistic adults and adopts a neurodiversity-embracing stance rather than a deficit model.

Why it’s innovative

• The interdisciplinary team blends occupational therapy, psychology, public health and education. This kind of cross-discipline collaboration is often rare in adult autism research.

• The neurodiversity-affirming perspective ensures that participants are not merely recipients of “treatment,” but partners in a respectful, strength-based process.

• An online, synchronous workshop brings scalability and accessibility, especially important for adult populations who may face logistic, geographic or sensory barriers.

• By combining instructional sessions with coaching, the program bridges knowledge and real-world application — crucial for translating learning into lived improvement.

Implications for practice and research
For researchers, clinicians and social-impact practitioners, the PAUSE Program offers several take-aways:

1. Design with the community. The advisory board of autistic adults means the work isn’t done to participants; it’s done with them. This builds relevance, trust and uptake.

2. Embed skill-application supports. Knowledge alone isn’t enough; coaching helps translate learning into daily life.

3. Online synchronous delivery is viable. As remote interventions proliferate, this model signals how to maintain connection, structure and accessibility for neurodivergent adults.

4. Adult-focused supports matter. So many services taper off after adolescence. By focusing on adult life, the PAUSE Program aligns with lifecycle-based support frameworks.

5. Affirmation over remediation. In a world too often based on “fixing deficits,” this program emphasises flourishing and self-compassion — a paradigm shift aligned with social-innovation thinking.

Next steps & call to action
The first round launched in October 2025 with eight participants; the second round is slated for January 2026 and still open for registration.

For those of us working at the intersection of innovation, social impact and neurodiversity, this program is worthy of attention — both as a model and a potential partner. Whether you’re developing workplace supports, designing adult-learning interventions, or shaping mental-health policy, the PAUSE Program offers a replicable framework: synchronous online sessions + coaching + neurodiversity-affirming design + adult focus.

Let’s pause, reflect, and pave the way for autistic adults to thrive on their own terms.