Inspired by the help she received when moving into her first apartment from her followers on TikTok, Nicole Parish pitched the idea of finding a way to get free autism sensory kits to autistics who couldn’t afford sensory tools on their own. Over a year later Mandi Eatough, then at the end of her graduate studies, was looking for a new project to work on after she graduated when she remembered this same video. It was shortly after this that The S.T.I.M. Project was founded.

We have first hand experience with how overwhelming and expensive an autism diagnosis can be. We also know that one of the simplest things that can help many autistics are sensory tools that help to manage/prevent overstimulation which can lead to meltdowns and shutdowns. Many autistics who need these tools don’t have the financial resources needed to get these tools on their own. That’s where we come in!

In our S.T.I.M. packs we provide Sensory Tools (S.T.) and Informational Materials (I.M.) directly to autistic individuals who can’t afford them at no cost. The sensory tools we provide are ones that our team uses ourselves that we know are high quality and provide different kinds of sensory support. We have autism, and these are tools that help us.

Similarly, the informational materials we provide are all written by autistic people for autistic people, and they provide valuable perspectives and information that is often overlooked or ignored by organizations run by non-autistic individuals.

Our primary goal is, and always will be, to provide tools and information to autistic people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them at no cost to them. While the exact contents may vary slightly based on supplies and availability, each pack will contain over $300 of tools and materials.

Our goal for our first year is to distribute 365 S.T.I.M. Packs to autistics in need and to do that we need your support!

Our primary goal for The S.T.I.M. Project Startup fundraiser is to get enough donations to reach this goal in our first year. With $150,000 we will be able to cover startup costs, distribute 365+ packs, as well as provide some compensation for our autistic team members' hard work. We are committed to ensuring that the majority of our budget is used to directly benefit autistic individuals through the distribution of S.T.I.M. Packs and other tools and materials directly to them at no cost and $110,000 (over 70%!) of our first year budget will be used for exactly that.

For more information about The S.T.I.M. Project and additional ways to get involved visit our website thestimproject.org.