Migration is building toward a full opening to the public in spring 2027, and our program is growing right alongside it. Everything described here will be fully operational when we open our doors. Between now and then, we’ll be hosting more pop-up shops and community events and expanding programming with our current community members.
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Migration Mercantile is a cafe, a gift store, and a therapy program all in one. We serve coffee and house-made baked goods alongside handmade goods by our community members and artisans with autism from across the country, all staffed by adults with autism working alongside therapists and neurotypical peers. Everything we do here is designed to prepare community members for and guide them through the transition to a more independent adulthood.
Every task, every shift, and every customer interaction is part of the program. Community members develop skills through direct experience in a supported environment, with personal goals guiding their progress.
Community members learn and practice the full range of hard and soft skills required in a customer-facing
Evidence-based therapy is provided by licensed and certified therapists specializing in autism and is integrated
into everything that happens at Migration Mercantile. Community members receive therapy tailored to their specific goals, including social communication, self-management, self-advocacy, and daily living skills. Individual and group skill development are woven throughout the day, addressed as they naturally arise in the context of real work and real interactions.
For community members who are ready, Migration supports the move into outside employment. We work with
local employers to build understanding, develop appropriate accommodations, and provide ongoing support to help transitions succeed.
After business hours, Migration Mercantile serves as a gathering place for Austin’s IDD community. We host
game nights, social events, special interest clubs, and community celebrations. It’s a space where neurodivergent adults can develop genuine friendships, build connections, and belong to something beyond the workday.
Community members progress through Migration at their own pace, guided by personal goals and supported by a dedicated therapy team. Our four-level structure provides a clear framework for growth, with increasing independence at each stage.
Community members begin at Migration Mercantile with the highest level of support in place. This phase focuses on learning the environment, building routine, and developing the foundational vocational and social skills that support everything that follows. Community members complete an unpaid internship within the Mercantile, with their therapy team present throughout.
Community members who meet established internship milestones become eligible for paid hours within Migration Mercantile. Support continues while independence and responsibility increase. Community members take on a broader range of tasks, deepen their vocational skills, and build the self-management skills that will carry them into less supported settings.
Community members at this level split their time between Migration Mercantile and a community setting, typically a volunteer position or outside internship. Community hours are supported by a therapist and focus on generalization, helping community members apply the skills they have developed in new environments. Any challenges that arise outside the Mercantile are addressed in real time alongside the therapy team.
Community members spend the majority of their time in outside employment, with Migration staff available to provide support as needed in their new setting. This phase is about finishing strong and stepping fully into independent employment.
Our goal is to support each community member through all four phases within 18 to 24 months, but that timeline is a guide, not a requirement. Every community member’s program is built around them, and the strategies we use are adjusted regularly based on their progress. Some community members will move quickly. Others will take longer, and that is the right pace for them. What matters is that the path forward is always clear and that the support in place is matched to where each person is.
Completing the Soaring phase is not the end of the relationship. Our support doesn’t end when the transition does. We remain available to help troubleshoot challenges that come up in outside employment because our goal is for community members to not only obtain employment, but keep it.
