National and local organizations will support community awareness and inclusivity with opening of first-of-its-kind neuroinclusive apartment building
RED BANK, N.J., April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Parents With A Plan, a not-for-profit developing private, best practices solutions for neurodivergent young adults, will operate Red Bank THRIVE™, the first-of-its-kind Neuroinclusive Apartment Building now under construction in Red Bank, N.J. The project will not only provide housing for individuals with diverse needs but also foster inclusion through employment and community-based opportunities, supported by organizations committed to advancing the well-being of the neurodiverse community.
Parents With A Plan will work alongside Autism Speaks, the largest autism organization in the U.S., to support Workplace Inclusion Now™ (WIN), a workforce development and training program, to promote inclusive hiring in Red Bank.
Autism Speaks has spent more than two decades driving research, expanding services, and shaping policy to improve quality of life for people with autism, across the autism spectrum and throughout the lifespan. Autism Speaks' WIN program offers online training courses to employers, job coaches, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and employment specialists designed to help them interview, hire, onboard and retain employees with autism and related neurodiverse conditions. Training is also available to jobseekers and their caregivers, to support them in finding and maintaining meaningful employment.
"We look forward to educating businesses and not for profit organizations in Red Bank about the tremendous opportunity for employing adults with autism through Autism Speaks' WIN program," said Robin Klein, General Partner of THRIVE and Parents With A Plan Founding Board Member. "We are especially thrilled to make this announcement in time for World Autism Day on April 2, as we strive for greater acceptance, understanding, inclusion and opportunity for the autism community in Red Bank and the greater Monmouth County area."
"Red Bank THRIVE™ marks a significant step forward, not just for autistic adults in New Jersey, but as a national model for building communities rooted in opportunity, purpose, and independence," said Josh Cobbs, Director of Employment Initiatives, Services & Support at Autism Speaks. "With WIN at the core, this effort will help expand access to meaningful employment and empower autistic individuals to thrive across all areas of life."
In addition to working with national organizations dedicated to improving the lives of people with autism and their families, Parents With A Plan has worked to educate local organizations in Monmouth County and the Greater Red Bank business community about the untapped resource the neurodiverse community offers in terms of employment.
These organizations will complement the established innovative public/private partnership with the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) that will create a new standard of excellence in neuroinclusive housing. Residents will benefit from the expertise of Rutgers senior clinical faculty and highly trained clinical staff; meanwhile, university students from a variety of academic disciplines will receive hands-on training and intensive supervision.
"Parents With A Plan's model of nurturing strong inter-organizational partnerships show that neurodivergent adults are best supported with a multilayered interdisciplinary approach of awareness/acceptance education, practitioner training, and old-fashioned community building where people that live in a certain place know and care about each other and take pride and ownership in their collective identity as members of that community," said Christopher Manente, PhD., BCBA, Founding Executive Director of RCAAS.
The three-story, 34,000-square-foot Red Bank THRIVE residential building will provide 32 one-bedroom apartments for independent living, with amenities such as a shared community engagement space, a teaching kitchen, health & wellness space, a sensory space, and more. Located at 273 Shrewsbury Ave. at Drs. James Parker Blvd, the building is scheduled to open in 2027.
More partnerships will be announced in coming months, said Karen E. Fluharty, Parents With A Plan Founder and General Partner of Red Bank THRIVE, who is the single mother of her neurodivergent, 23-year-old son Ryan.
"As construction on the physical building continues, it's thrilling to see our vision for a community that supports and gives real opportunity to our neurodiverse young adults coalesce," Fluharty said. "Knowing that best-in-class organizations such as Autism Speaks and RCAAS support and join that vision means more to this mom than I can say."
For more information on the project, visit www.parentswithaplan.org.
About Parents With A Plan
We are a 501(c) (3) organization comprised of families, legal and housing professionals developing private, best practices solutions for neurodivergent young adults. We will do this by creating a place to call "home." We believe each individual deserves a high quality of life and there is a growing need for developing neuroinclusive, consumer-controlled housing that fosters person-centered living and working environments. Our group is dedicated to expanding capacity for community-based housing and best practices by putting like-minded, professional industry leaders together to create solutions for the ever-growing "post-21" neurodivergent housing shortage. www.parentswithaplan.org.
About Red Bank THRIVE™
Red Bank THRIVEÔ, A Parents With A Plan™ collaboration is a first-of-its-kind Neuro-inclusive Apartment Building that will provide one-bedroom apartments for independent living for adults, with shared amenity space, including a teaching kitchen, common event space, health & wellness spaces, workout spaces, and socialization areas.
Red Bank THRIVE is intended to be a model for future developments in New Jersey and beyond to offer a range of choices for a growing, but greatly underserved population. The three-story, 32-unit residential building is expected to open at 273 Shrewsbury Ave. at Drs. James Parker Blvd in 2027.
About the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS)
The RCAAS is a center of the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). Since its creation in 2016, the RCAAS has provided life-changing services and support to over 200 adults on the autism spectrum to ensure that they have the opportunity to lead independent and fulfilling lives as members of their community. Simultaneously, the RCAAS has advanced innovative research and prepared hundreds of students to enter careers in support of this vulnerable population. Leveraging Rutgers' vast resources, RCAAS offers a unique mixture of supportive programs within an inclusive university setting that enhances quality of life and increases success. RCAAS's integrative service, research, and training program is unmatched anywhere. The Center serves as a model for organizations around the world to rise to the challenge of providing effective services to an ever-increasing number of adults with autism. The RCAAS exists to stand for autistic adults who are not always able to stand up for themselves and, whenever possible, to amplify the voices of those who can. rcaas.rutgers.edu
About Autism Speaks
In partnership with autistic people, Autism Speaks works to create an inclusive world and redefine possible for people with autism across their lifespan. As the largest autism organization in the U.S., Autism Speaks has spent more than two decades driving research, expanding services, and shaping policy to improve quality of life. Each year, the organization connects millions of autistic people and their families to free resources, advocacy and support, while working across sectors to advance disability inclusion and opportunity. Learn more at AutismSpeaks.org and follow @AutismSpeaks on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Debra Hazel, Parents With A Plan, 1 201-618-5247, [email protected], https://www.parentswithaplan.org/
SOURCE Parents With A Plan
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