Island Autism Center Programs
Island Autism Center, 515 Lamberts Cove Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575
About
Island Autism Center Programs include social and therapeutic activities such as planting, harvesting, learning about conservation, and spending time with chickens. Participants collect eggs, sell produce at the farmer’s market, take part in planting projects, play with the chickens, join outdoor yoga sessions, help out in the kitchen, and meet with a job coach to discuss career goals. The program also offers personalized planning meetings, time to read books and relax, socializing with others, having coffee or tea with staff, and options to work on the farm, in the kitchen, at the farm stand, or in other jobs on campus and in the community.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Members sell farm produce at the farmer’s market twice a week
The Island Autism Center Programs operate within a residential and day-programming setting for autistic individuals and their families, with three main pillars of residences, programming, and a community micro-farm. The Center includes a Hub House with a mud room, commercial kitchen, gathering space, quiet space, mailroom, office, program manager’s apartment, and guest rooms, as well as a barn used for community meetings, day programs, and gatherings, a farm stand, fenced-in gardens, chicken runs, and a community micro-farm. The farm creates jobs in the barn, kitchen, camp store, and farm stand, and uses a daily living model where residents collect eggs, have coffee or tea with staff, and use a van to go to jobs or activities in the community.
The Center describes its mission as providing a place on Martha’s Vineyard where children and adult residents with autism can live life to its fullest potential in a residential and day-programming setting in which autistic individuals and their families can thrive. It focuses on addressing the needs of autistic children and young adults who have limited access to social, emotional, and physical development programs, with the stated aim of filling this gap and empowering autistic individuals to reach their full potential.
The program is open to older high school and adult groups, and younger kids have planting projects, time with chickens, and outdoor yoga at the farm. The Center uses a model called the “ripple effect,” where individuals move from their own space to more public spaces on campus and then into the community. Phase One of the campus includes the Hub House, barn, farm stand, fenced-in gardens, and chicken runs; construction is underway on the first of two four-bedroom residences planned in Phase Two, and Phase Three will add three two-bedroom cottages with different living arrangements, including options with and without overnight supervision and with 24/7 one-on-one support.
All applicants for any housing option must have a diagnosis of autism or a related disorder, and applications are scored by a committee of community members, with points for long-term Island residents and requirements for low income status and Section 8 voucher eligibility. Community involvement includes partnerships with island organizations and businesses for community integration, dedicated spaces for collaboration among families, friends, schools, and community members, and regular participation at the Farmer’s Market in West Tisbury. Families can join to receive the latest news from Island Autism, learn about new resources and events, and connect with the autism community on Martha’s Vineyard.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Members sell farm produce at the farmer’s market twice a week
The Island Autism Center Programs operate within a residential and day-programming setting for autistic individuals and their families, with three main pillars of residences, programming, and a community micro-farm. The Center includes a Hub House with a mud room, commercial kitchen, gathering space, quiet space, mailroom, office, program manager’s apartment, and guest rooms, as well as a barn used for community meetings, day programs, and gatherings, a farm stand, fenced-in gardens, chicken runs, and a community micro-farm. The farm creates jobs in the barn, kitchen, camp store, and farm stand, and uses a daily living model where residents collect eggs, have coffee or tea with staff, and use a van to go to jobs or activities in the community.
The Center describes its mission as providing a place on Martha’s Vineyard where children and adult residents with autism can live life to its fullest potential in a residential and day-programming setting in which autistic individuals and their families can thrive. It focuses on addressing the needs of autistic children and young adults who have limited access to social, emotional, and physical development programs, with the stated aim of filling this gap and empowering autistic individuals to reach their full potential.
The program is open to older high school and adult groups, and younger kids have planting projects, time with chickens, and outdoor yoga at the farm. The Center uses a model called the “ripple effect,” where individuals move from their own space to more public spaces on campus and then into the community. Phase One of the campus includes the Hub House, barn, farm stand, fenced-in gardens, and chicken runs; construction is underway on the first of two four-bedroom residences planned in Phase Two, and Phase Three will add three two-bedroom cottages with different living arrangements, including options with and without overnight supervision and with 24/7 one-on-one support.
All applicants for any housing option must have a diagnosis of autism or a related disorder, and applications are scored by a committee of community members, with points for long-term Island residents and requirements for low income status and Section 8 voucher eligibility. Community involvement includes partnerships with island organizations and businesses for community integration, dedicated spaces for collaboration among families, friends, schools, and community members, and regular participation at the Farmer’s Market in West Tisbury. Families can join to receive the latest news from Island Autism, learn about new resources and events, and connect with the autism community on Martha’s Vineyard.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
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