Exceptional Minds Academy

Exceptional Minds Academy is a full-time three-year program where students work in animation, visual effects, 3D gaming, and post-production services. The program offers small group instruction with student-teacher ratios below 6:1, and classes are taught by industry experts. Exceptional Minds Academy is part of a nonprofit academy and studios that open pathways to careers in the digital arts for artists on the autism spectrum.

• Ages: 14–18 years old
• Schedule: Full-time three-year program

Exceptional Minds Academy is part of an organization that includes a vocational academy, a post graduate program, and professional post-production studios. The mission of Exceptional Minds is to cultivate the talents and skills of artists on the autism spectrum to facilitate their employment, self-advocacy and sharing of stories. The program prepares young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation, visual effects, 3D gaming and other related fields in the entertainment industry, with technical and work readiness training customized to help students achieve their artistic and professional goals. It offers small group instruction in a full-time three-year program, private lessons, and part-time summer workshops. Exceptional Minds reports a 97% graduation rate, and graduates are paid for work in professional animation and VFX studios. The professional studios provide animation and post-production services for partners, employ graduates of the academy, and have completed hundreds of projects, including Oscar-winning films and every Marvel movie since 2015. Exceptional Minds embraces new technology, from AI to virtual production, as a spark for curiosity, collaboration, and creative growth, and provides work for companies such as Disney, Sony, Netflix, NBCU, and Sesame Workshop.

Last updated June 22, 2026.