Autistic Wings was born from a personal journey. As a dancer with autism, our founder, then 12 years old Leta, found that she didn't always fit in traditional dance studio environments, despite her incredible talent. After years of being a member of the Emmy-nominated Chloe Arnold's International Youth Tap Company, SoleTalk, she decided to create a different kind of space. A studio space where autistic dancers like her could feel safe, seen, and loved for exactly who they are. A studio space where autistic dancers were accepted for their autistic quirks, not judged for them.

This mission is at the heart of everything we do. Our class sizes are intentionally small, with just 1-4 dancers per class, ensuring every student receives focused attention. This model allows us to create a personalized Dance Studio IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for each dancer. Our lesson plans are not one-size-fits-all; they are custom-built to meet the specific needs of the students in that class.

We have grown from 8 classes to over 60+ classes scheduled to start Fall 2026. From “Dancing with a Friend” for one years old dancers to Adult Tap, Adult Hip-Hop, and everything inbetween, we offer something for everyone.

We go beyond simple accommodations like dimming the lights. We take the time to understand each dancer's unique communication style and tailor our instruction accordingly. We respect our dancers' sensory needs, so for those who find a tight bun uncomfortable, we encourage them to wear their hair in a way that feels best for them.

This year we also started our new pre-company (think “company” for most studios, but since we’re planning on adding a professional company soon, we decided to call ours “the pre-company.”) We’re super excited to start sharing what our dancers are putting togeher soon.

Autistic Wings never turns a dancer away just because they can’t pay $171 a month for class. (Or $2,223 a month for our pre-professional company dancers.) Right now, 100% of our dancers are on partial or full scholarships. With your help, we can keep it that way. Donate below to help our dancers continue to soar on their wings.

PS: Autistic Wings’ photo policy is simple: Only Leta (our founder), young Miranda (our vice president’s granddaughter), Spencer (with permission of his parents), our pre-company dancers, and our adults who consent to being photographed are allowed to be photographed and recorded for our socials and the website. The internet is a crazy place, and we deal with an at-risk population. Our “babies” are young and at risk for being targeted by creeps. Some of our adults are not out as “autistic” in their real lives. By not posting their photos and videos of our dancers, we are protecting their privacy. Thanks for understanding.