2025 Annual Report
Family
a work of heart
EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO THRIVE TOGETHER
EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO THRIVE TOGETHER
This year's report showcases family in all its forms—the families we serve, the connections we create, and the lifelong bonds that define our work.
To honor this theme, we invited May students and adult program participants to create artwork expressing what family means to them. Their beautiful creations are featured on the cover and throughout this report.
65,000+
people have accessed information about evidence-based treatment from the National Autism Center in 2025.
Meet the families whose journeys with May show what these numbers truly represent: hope, connection, and a lifetime of care.
When Mike Trainor spoke at this year’s Gala, he shared how deeply May has impacted his family—and how well-served and loved his sons Jack and Sean have been as students. The Trainors’ story exemplifies why May exists.
“The staff at the school, in the residence—they’re invested in these kids in a way that’s hard to put into words. They don’t just do their jobs. They see the humanity in every student. They see the potential. And they treat the parents—us—like family too.”
Watch Mike Trainor’s Gala Speech
May announces the upcoming opening of our seventh special education school in Mansfield, Mass.
The National Autism Center marks 20 years with a groundbreaking guide on profound autism.
Day habilitation program opens to meet increasing needs of autistic and developmentally disabled adults.
We were honored to travel to Washington, D.C. to represent May Institute and 766 schools on the national stage.
May Institute ranks 35th on the list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Mass.
Thankful to Representatives Philips and Scanlon and Senator Driscoll for supporting profoundly autistic individuals.
A Lifetime of Firsts: Stories of Celebration—Meet Wyllo!
Profound Autism Alliance, National Autism Center, and the Commonwealth team up to enact Profound Autism Day.
Delegates from the Republic of Georgia visit May to learn about our programs and bring new insights home.
Grateful to Senator Kennedy, Representative Livingston, and their staff for their advocacy.
Ten exceptional employees are recognized with the organization’s highest honor.
Our New England PBIS Conference celebrates 20 years of empowering educators with strategies for student success.
May Institute’s clinical experts share their knowledge and the results of their research through hundreds of published columns for families and through presentations and regular contributions to the research literature.
Dear Friends,
Seventy years ago, May Institute opened its doors to 17 families whose profoundly autistic children had nowhere else to turn. In that moment, we didn't just start a school—we became family. Since then, our purpose has remained unchanged–to pair science with compassion so autistic individuals and people with brain injuries and other neurodevelopmental disorders can live with greater independence, dignity, and choice.
At May, family means many things. It's the families who come to us looking for support, hope, and a better future. It's the advocates who become vital members of our community. It's the bonds that form within our programs—between staff, the individuals we serve, and each other. These relationships are as real and enduring as any family, and they are at the heart of everything we do.
This year, we expanded our capacity and services to meet urgent needs across the lifespan. We announced plans for a seventh school in Mansfield and launched our first capital campaign to make that school a reality. We opened a new day habilitation program in Randolph and introduced speech and language therapy at our May Centers for Children & Families. Our National Autism Center marked its 20th anniversary and published Profound Autism: A Parent’s Guide, a unique evidence-based resource written by May experts to help families navigate profound autism.
Alongside system-level growth are the small, important wins that show how care changes lives. This year, we celebrated a Bay School graduate honored for workplace excellence; we also helped make Chanel’s long-awaited trip to New York a reality. These moments remind us that clinical rigor and human possibility must go hand in hand.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to nurturing growth, empowering potential, and ensuring individuals and families thrive through research and training that extends beyond our doors. To learn more about our plans for Mansfield and ways to support May’s mission, please visit MayInstitute.org.
Thank you for being part of our family,
Dr. Lauren C. Solotar
President and CEO
Richard Wichmann
Chairperson, Board of Directors
