When Michelle Jenkins’ son, Bryce, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age three, she struggled to find accessible resources and programming for her and her son. Her son needed socialization, and she searched for a social-skills group where he could play and form relationships with other children, but the only support available to her son was one-on-one therapy. Her search for a safe, welcoming, and accessible space turned up short, leading Michelle to create her own organization, Bryce’s Journey, in 2017.
Bryce’s Journey, named for Michelle’s son, works to reduce disparities of care for working class families and underserved children with ASD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the inner-city Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roxbury, and Roslindale. Their services are available on a sliding-scale fee basis, and they are committed to keeping their programming available to all who need it.
For participating youth, Bryce’s Journey provides year-round support. For the majority of the year, children can attend their after-school programming where they gain a safe space to come to each day where they know they will be cared for, they will have friends to connect with, and where they are able to gain new experiences in a way that accommodates their own needs. The team takes the children on field trips, both for fun and to teach new skills. Michelle recounted stories of taking the kids to the library to practice picking out books for themselves, to the bowling alley for a fun outing, and to the swimming pool to be sure all the kids were able to swim and float to keep themselves safe.
Outside of the school months, children can attend Bryce’s Journey’s summer enrichment programming that prioritizes teaching important life skills and safety lessons to increase the children’s confidence and independence. Together, they practice skills like riding the bus, checking out with cashiers at convenience stores, and learning how to keep themselves safe and look for help in public if they are ever alone.
Bryce’s Journey’s work extends outside of their interactions directly with participating children. Michelle works with families to support their children’s education, serving as an advocate for families in school meetings and aiding families in creating and understanding their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), an important accessibility support for children with ASD and ADHD who have specific educational needs. The organization also provides guidance, informational resources, monthly support groups, and educational workshops for parents and caregivers.
At the beginning, Michelle was just renting space where she could find it, often at local community and health centers. In 2024, Bryce’s Journey finally began renting their own space in Hyde Park, which can accommodate twelve children and four adults. To this day, they rely heavily on word-of-mouth to share their services and programming with families who need it. Michelle has worked to get to know members of her community, learning what resources other families like her own are seeking and how she can best support them.
Despite their successes and the impact Bryce’s Journey has made on countless children and parents, they are still in need of support. They have outgrown their space and are searching for a larger space that can meet Early Education and Care (EEC) standards, while remaining affordable and accessible. They are also searching for partnerships with other organizations and with the Boston Public School system to be able to broaden the reach of their impact.
This year marks Bryce’s Journey’s fifth and final year as a grantee partner of The Lenny Zakim Fund. Not only has the funding provided by LZF been immensely helpful in allowing the organization to offer their programming at little to no cost to working families, with LZF’s help Michelle has been able to grow as a leader and nonprofit executive. In the past five years, she has taken advantage of many of LZF’s seminars, trainings, and consulting opportunities and conveyed gratitude for all that she has learned, as well as the connections she has been able to form with LZF staff and board members. “I don’t feel like a number. LZF gets it,” Michelle expressed.
Nine years after funding Bryce’s Journey, Michelle shared that they are still the only organization offering the wrap-around services and support that they do. Moments of learning that may seem small to those who do not have a child with ASD or ADHD in their life, are recognized as huge moments of celebration to the team at Bryce’s Journey. Where we may see a young child going to the post office and simply dropping a letter off, Michelle tells the story of a child who has learned to cross the street safely themselves, who identified a task and was able to complete it, and who was able to comfortably interact with a post office worker all on their own.
The team behind Bryce’s Journey has continued to grow, allowing them to help more families in the way that Michelle herself needed help over a decade ago. To Michelle, the clear sign of success is in the love the children have for the organization; “The children love the space, they feel safe. School can be very difficult for children with disabilities, but here they know everyone is there to be their friend.”
——————————————————————————————-
Current needs at Bryce’s Journey include support with finding a new, larger EEC certified space for their expanded programing, partnerships with similar organizations, and funding/donations. To learn more about their work, visit their website here or reach out to Executive Director Michelle Jenkins at brycesjourney@outlook.com.
