The holiday season is upon us. And that means the release of our 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Guide, a collection of neurodiverse businesses that carry unique gifts for everyone on your list.
This year, we’ve added businesses, and we’ve done some more shopping (let’s call it research, OK?). And trust us when we say there are some really cool gift ideas here. Gifts they’ll love - and you’ll feel good about.
So, skip the big box stores, and choose gifts that promote an inclusive, neurodiverse world. Happy shopping!
For the Chef or Grill Master ✨ For the Sweet Tooth ✨ For the Snack Lover ✨ For the Caffeine Enthusiast ✨ For the Homebody (and their home) ✨ For the Style-Savvy ✨ For the Accessorizer ✨ For Those who Love (or Need) Self-Care ✨ For the Art Buff ✨ For Your Furry Friends ✨ For the Motorhead ✨ For Those who Have Everything (from Businesses with Everything) ✨ For the Bookworm ✨ For the Nature Lover ✨For the (Georgia) Local
Matthew’s Bonfire BBQ - Creator and Chef Matthew Hessburg has never let Down Syndrome stop him. As a result, he’s launched his own line of unique barbecue sauces (which all sound VERY good).
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: For the grill master in your life, package up the blueberry chipotle, a basting brush, and an apron.
Texas Sweet Heat Jam Co. - With flavors like Mango Heat and Texas Apple Pie, these “jams with attitude” provide culinary training and competitively paid employment for adults with intellectual disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project-tested! We tried the Holiday Heat jam last December and couldn’t resist also getting the Texas Carrot Cake. They were both SO good and a delicious add to our holiday spreads. Pair with some crackers and a customized bread board at your holiday functions.
Shemesh Farms - Farm Fellows with diverse abilities are an integral part of every aspect of the operation. They carry organic and kosher certified salt, pepper, spices, and herbs. Oh, and raw honey, too!
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! We bought their Salt n Roses (great on my avocado toast!), and while they don’t carry that currently, their Citrus Garden Salt looks like it would be perfect, too. For the chef in your life, package together their cookbook, some spices, an apron, and a cutting board.
Purely Patrick - Dry ingredients, beautifully layered, to make everything from soups to cookies to even dog treats. They’re all made by Patrick, a young man with cerebral palsy, using assistive technology.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! We tried the Dreamsicle cookies - super easy to make, super delicious to eat (“bussin’”, according to our 11-year-old). Package any one of their mixes with a beautifully designed oven mitt. Great teacher gift, too!
Smile Farms - We have a few family members who LOVE hot sauce. Like, love it love it. So a business whose motto is “Heat with heart” gets us. The heat AND the heart.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Another gift for the chef or grill master! Package up their hot sauces with a grill master apron.
Common Roots Farm - An urban, organic farm where people with and without disabilities grow healthy food and build community. This is what inclusion looks like. It’s also what delicious jams, marmalades, and drink mixes look like.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Have you ever in your life heard of a Strawberry-Avocado Margarita? Neither had we, but I’m very game to try it. And what a great gift! Print out the recipe, and package it with some strawberry margarita mix, some pretty coasters, and the promise of a girls night in.
Max Mix Gourmet Spice Blends - Max is a young adult who makes a mean spice mix. And he comes from a line of competition BBQ-ers, so it’s in his genes. He also happens to have Down syndrome. So he did what any good entrepreneur would do - he started Max Mix, providing employment and independence for him and others with special abilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: I’m not great with decisions, especially when all the options sound so darn good. That makes me partial to gift sets like this one, which combine all three of their flavorful options!
Collettey’s - Collette is an entrepreneur with Down syndrome who has created a global movement with her business. She’s also created some pretty amazing cookies (including gluten-free options).
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Looking for a gift to send a loved one? They have holiday and New Year’s gift packages that ship for free in the U.S.
Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates - While they have coffee, too, we put these under “foodie” after seeing their tasty snacks, from sugar cinnamon almonds to chili pecans - all made by adults with intellectual disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The 2.5 oz. packages of nuts and granola are a great stocking stuffer!
Carly’s Custom Cakes - Carly Feins, owner and operator of this tasty business, is a neurodivergent woman who wants to show that neurodiverse workers are more than worth employing. In fact, they’re hidden gemstones. (We love this sentiment - and want to “unhide” gems like Carly!)
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: To us, her work is essentially art you can eat. Have an upcoming holiday event? Purchase some cutout cookies (you can choose the shapes), and I guarantee these will be the most talked-about item on the holiday table.
Sunflower Bakery - Touting caring as their main ingredient, this bakery creates pathways to employment for young adults and teens with learning differences.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Looking to send a gift that you’ll know they love? You can never go wrong with food. They have delicious cookies, cakes, and mandel bread.
Special Kneads & Treats - They’re a nonprofit serving specialty (that is: sweet and delicious) goods and focused on providing special needs adults a place to learn a skill and develop a sense of accountability and pride.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested (and the cupcakes were amazing!). They’re in the Lawrenceville, GA area if you’re able to pay them a visit, but they now have online offerings, including their cake and icing mixes, as well as their sprinkler blends.
The Chocolate Spectrum - Truffles, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate-covered Oreos - and that’s just the beginning. And who are the chocolatiers creating these concoctions? Participants in their apprenticeship programs, which provide meaningful employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: There’s a gift here for any chocolate lover. But a great option for a special teacher or therapist might be their autism gift box of treats. Or, because it comes with pretzels, Oreos, chocolate bars, fudge, AND truffles - divide it among several important people in your life.
South Fork Bakery - Cookies, brownies, biscotti, and of course, swag - this bakery has it all. And they’re committed to fostering meaningful and purposeful lives for their employees by immersing them in ALL aspects of the business, including mixing, baking, packaging, and selling.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: We all know someone who enjoys quiet mornings with coffee - so package some almond biscotti, good morning brew, and a tumbler-with-a-message. Also, I know it’s a bakery, so I should focus on the treats, but I am loving their beach bags (which include treats!).
The BORO Sugar Shack - This is the business on the gift guide our 11-year-old has been hoping for! It’s a candy shop that also provides young adults with special abilities the opportunity to maximize their individual potential, while sharing their skills and talents with the community. “Be sweet, give sweets.”
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: There’s so much fun stuff here. Create a retro-themed gift with their nostalgic candy (you could pair it with a fun tee). We’re also super loving their allergy-friendly candy, like Choco No No and the No Whey candy bar.
SpectroDolce Confectionary - Sweets with a mission. They’ve got all things chocolate covered (think blueberries, cashews, cherries, marshmallows… you get the idea!) - and it all looks so good. Plus, their staff is made up almost entirely of adults with autism; when you buy here, you’re directly helping to close the employment gap and creating hope for equal opportunities for a sustainable career and higher quality of life.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Make sure you check out their sweets you can ship. A great teacher or therapist gift is the chocolate pecan turtle gift box. And if their peppermint bark or triple dipped malt balls happen to end up in your cart for you, we won’t judge.
Popcorn for the People - Creating a neurodiverse future AND popcorn flavors that range from classic Butter to French toast. Delicious!
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! Last year, we adorned bags of popcorn with gift tags and gave them to teachers, parapros, and therapists. We tried out a few in the process - SO good! (You can get more information about the gifts we created and other products we’ve tried here.)
Mello Munch - A unique, delicious granola developed by Riley, who has autism. It combines pistachios, coconut, pure grade A dark maple syrup, & sea salt. Mmm.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: A snack pack for the munchie-lover in your life! Package together a gift that combines their sweet granola with savory pretzels and nuts or trail mix. They also make great stocking stuffers!
Savor by Suzie - Snacks that leave things out (think gluten, dairy, nut, other allergens) while creating a workplace that brings everyone in. Boom. That’s exactly it. They have both sweet and savory options.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! This business generously donated their pretzels for our iCan Bike camp this year, and we fell in love immediately. We had to buy some for ourselves; the Roasted Garlic & Herb are our absolute favorite!
Poppin’ Joe’s Gourmet Kettle Korn - Operated and managed by Joe, a young adult with DS-ASD, they offer both classics and unique flavors, like Sweet & Cheesy.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: A movie night-themed gift! Include a popcorn sampler pack, a snuggly blanket, some hot chocolate, and a Radically Inclusive mug. Package it in a gorgeous canvas bin.
LUV Michael - Granola that is hand mixed and packed by “granologists,” who are empowered with living wages and independent life skills - and as a result, deliver a product that tastes good and does good, too. (And they have an online student volunteer program to educate the world on being allies to the autism community!)
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Package together their originola granola with a jar of honey for a (literally) sweet snack.
Bee Free - Creators of Warrior Snack Mix, gluten-free snacks everyone will actually like! Plus, they provide jobs and resources for adults with autism and other forms of neurodiversity.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They have some delicious recipes right on their site. So, for the snacker in your life who also likes to bake, try the Mae’s Apple Pie Warrior Mix. Print out their recipe for apple pie blondies on some holiday paper. Throw in a fun apron or consider a custom acrylic tray for serving.
Aspire CoffeeWorks - Adults with and without disabilities work side by side to make delicious coffee. As they say, even the staff is perfectly blended! We love this business because it’s proof of the success that can happen when people of all abilities work together.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Lots of great coffee options here! Plus, they have an option for custom corporate gifts for employees or clients.
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee - A human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop. Radically inclusive. We love everything about this place. Including their coffees and their swag.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! With locations popping up everywhere (including Athens, GA) - consider a coffee date here to exchange gifts or after a long day of holiday shopping. Or consider some swag; I love my Radically Inclusive hat.
Cam’s Coffee Co. - Drink good. Do good. It’s a motto that works. And they have soooo many good coffees and teas.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! We’ve tried their coffee and a few teas, and they were all delish! But I couldn’t resist also trying out their vanilla coffee body polish - an invigorating way to start your day.
Haerfest Coffee - Every aspect of this company has been intentionally created to provide a job for people with disabilities. Right down to the artwork on the bags, all commissioned by artists with disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! Because their coffee doubles as both coffee and art, we thought these made excellent teacher gifts.
Ethan & the Bean - A business aimed at increasing the employment rate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, they pride themselves on being a place where hope is always brewing.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Have a writer or artist in your life? Package together some coffee, one of their beautifully designed notebooks, and a pen.
t21 Coffee - An online boutique coffee shop that creates job opportunities for people with Down syndrome. An absolute win/win.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! Did you know coffee can be used for cookies - and even burgers?! Yes, burgers! t21 Coffee has some unique recipes, so for the true coffee connoisseur, print them onto a nice cardstock - maybe add some holiday flair. Then pair it with their coffee!
Gabi’s Grounds - Our favorite thing here is their focus on empowerment, providing opportunities for people with special abilities to find fulfillment and their place in the world. And if you can support empowerment and get great coffee, tasty treats, and cool merch? Well, who’s going to turn that down?
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They have ALOT of cool gift ideas here. K-cups for the Keurig-users on your list, chocolate overload gift boxes for the chocolate lovers, and even car coasters for anyone trying to keep those cupholders clean.
DIRT Coffee - Divergent. Inclusive. Representation. Transforms. We could not say it better ourselves.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Have a true coffee connoisseur in your life? Gift them a French press from DIRT, and pair it with a coffee lovers’ gift soap and candle gift bag.
ExtraSpecialTeas - A vibrant, eclectic teahouse serving up teas, treats, and more - all while operating under the belief that: every differently-abled person has something to offer their community, deserves to be part of it, and needs to know they have value. Yes. Just yes.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They have SO MUCH good stuff; I’m intrigued by everything. But for a tea lover, I think a super fun gift would be this flight gift box and an EST travel infuser bottle. Of course, throw in some gluten-free biscotti because you can’t have tea without some biscotti.
Dig It! Coffee Co. - Serving kindness, coffee, and inclusion. That pretty much says it all. They’re building a thriving community built on inclusivity, equity, and kindness - ultimately offering a new perspective on what inclusion looks like in the workplace. Oh, and they’re making some good coffee and merch while they’re at it.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: A unique idea for that friend who loves all things vintage: a funky, motel-style keychain, a tie-dye shirt, and this coffee glass, which has a 70’s vibe.
Inspired Threads - We love upcycling! This business uses high-quality, designer fabric scraps to create super cool blankets and bags. All while providing meaningful employment for people with disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! I’m admittedly a throw girl (chalk it up to my growing up in the North!). We have the black and white blanket, and it is, hands-down, my absolute favorite blanket of all time. Seriously. It’s soft, it’s gorgeous, and it matters. They make custom memory blankets, too, so they have all sorts of options if you’re looking for something unique.
Dance Happy Designs - Super stylish planters, bins, and bags — created by three friends, one who has Down syndrome, and two who saw how much she was capable of. One of everything, thankyouverymuch.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Bags and bins are a great way to gift items that can be tricky to wrap (and they add to the gift!). Or, for a teacher gift, choose one of their cardholders with a message and include a gift card.
The Grace Effect - With a mission to hire the disability community, gift options here range from candles to products from their farmstand, like winter bulbs, honey, seeds, and more.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: I think their holiday bulb jar is one of my favorite gift ideas for a host (and one I think I may try out this year!). All the host needs to do is add water and put it in a warm, sunny spot.
Sparked Candles - Sparking job opportunities for individuals with disabilities! And with scents like sweet orange & sriracha, pineapple sage, and banana nut bread, there’s something for everyone.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Super fun gift for a friend whose style is modern and maybe a bit funky? Pair together a fresh, lively-scented cactus flower and jade candle with a flower pop sherpa blanket.
Imperfect Creations - This business is run by Faith-Christina Duncan, a talented quilter who also has Trisomy 21, a form of Down Syndrome. She’s committed to challenging the perceptions about people with disabilities and what they can accomplish. Take one look at her work, and you see she’s done just that.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Her quilts are lovely, and make great standalone gifts. Or, if you celebrate Christmas, consider a Christmas-themed gift for the host of your festivities: ornaments, decorative towels, and a holiday-scented candle.
Aspire Accessories - So many cool gift ideas here - jewelry, clothes, bags, and products for the home. They’re all beautiful, and they’re all created, packaged, and shipped by artisans with autism and similar disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Have a craft-lover in your life? Try a jewelry-making kit. Looking to get your holiday table guest-ready? Check out these gorgeous leather napkin rings, these wine charms, or these super unique shell salt and pepper holders.
Be Kind to Everyone (Jordyn’s Summer Shirt Project) - This is a Guide Project-tested business; we ordered from them a few years back and loved our stuff! This business started to help Jordyn, who has autism, develop job skills. They have a wide variety of merch, all aimed at creating a more inclusive world.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The shirts are super soft, so they’re all good. Try the T.E.A.C.H. Kindness tee for a teacher gift. Or for stocking stuffers, try: the Kindness Kit, Notepad Packs, or Kindness Decal Packs.
H-Bomb Ties - Each purchase helps to create work training opportunities for differently abled individuals. Each purchase ALSO helps make you look cool. Seriously - the style in these ties.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Sweet idea for a kiddo to give their dad, as they have matching father and son sets.
John’s Crazy Socks - Socks you can color, socks that glow, socks with CAPES. What?! That’s right. These socks create happiness AND jobs for people with disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! For the teachers or therapists in your life, take a mason jar and put in some pulled cotton balls (for the snow). Roll a pair of socks, throw in some holiday candy, and finish it with a bow and gift tag.
21 Pineapples - We love the funky designs. What we love even more is that CEO Nate Simon, who has Down syndrome, uses his business to change perceptions about people with different abilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Our best tip is to be sure to check out everything, because they have so many great messages and so many great items. Have a friend who may need some extra love and encouragment? Consider this shirt, this cardholder, and a Different Not Less bracelet to remind them of how special they are - just as they are.
Seanese - Owner and entrepreneur Sean may look familiar. He was featured in the A & E show Born This Way, which follows several young adults with Down syndrome as they pursue their passions and defy society’s expectations. (I highly recommend it.) Now he has his own line of “brow raisin’ tees.”
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Appeal to the sense of humor of the jokester in your life by gifting one of their funny shirts, like You Had Me At Burrito, Born to Be Weird, or I’m An Expert of Everything. Pair it with a humorous novelty soap.
The Spotlight Project - Another Guide Project-tested business - the bracelets are so pretty. We also love the focus they put on their Makers, creative people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who each have their own story to tell.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Check out their acceptance and awareness bracelets for the special education professionals and therapists in your life. Choose from autism, epilepsy, Down Syndrome, and cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy acceptance. Then wrap them in a traveling accessory pouch.
Ventures ATL - They’ve partnered with Dooney & Bourke to create a beautiful collection of handbags that support autism awareness and directly provide employment to autistic adults.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Designer handbags are really standalone gifts. But help your loved one keep that handbag off the floor with a purse hanger they can take everywhere.
Special Sparkle - Kelly is a young lady with Down syndrome - who also has a lot of style. She and her mom work together to design the jewelry, and Kelly brings it all to life. Beautiful!
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Have a long-distance friend or relative to buy for? We adore these distance bracelets, each containing a piece of the other as a reminder of your bond. They also have aromatherapy bracelets that can be used with essential oils!
KendallCrochetsHats - This awesome shop is owned by Kendall, a young woman with Down syndrome who has a talent for creating hats that are trendy and functional (think: warm!). (She’ll be restocking her Etsy store in early November, so keep an eye on this one!)
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Warm and cozy is a GREAT theme for a holiday gift. Put together: a crochet hat, some fluffy slipper socks, a supremely soft throw, some tea and a mug.
Depo Market - Pronounced deh-po, this is a business that didn’t set out to be a business; it was simply a way for Tiffany Chou to help her brother, Christian, find a job. Lucky for the world they did. I ADORE all of their jewelry (and am definitely adding from here for my holiday wish list this year!).
🎁Guide Project Gift Idea: Check out the origami jewelry, which is particularly unique! Or if you have a runner in your life, this ring would be perfect. If you want to add to the gift, this bamboo tray is gorgeous - and perfect for jewelry.
ScentsAbility - What you see on the outside: beautiful artisan scented candles. What’s happening behind the scenes: an innovative social enterprise that provides workplace opportunities adapted for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). We love this.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Give the gift of mindfulness and meditation by combining a Gratitude candle with a notebook they can use as a gratitude journal. Or, if you can’t decide which candle you like best, choose one of their gift sets.
Extraordinary Gifts - Candles and soaps - all beautifully handmade by artisans with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Make relaxation the theme. Select a candle, add a lavender eye mask to relax, and a notebook for journaling.
Beloved Bath - Candles, body butter, sugar scrubs, and soap - all that provide meaningful employment for people with autism. The simple, clean serene packaging is making us feel relaxed already …
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They offer a variety of gift sets, from season and holiday-specific to just general serenity.
Trev’s Trades - Where autism meets potential. A statement so powerful it’s almost all you need to know. But check out their story - and their fun, unique line of soaps.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They make the gifting easy with spa bags, which include two soaps, a washcloth, a handcrafted wooden soap dish, and a soap saver - all packaged in a pretty cloth bag (with a variety of patterns to choose from, holiday and otherwise).
Blossom Artisanal - Unique and refreshing line of soaps, candles, and bath teas created by artisans with developmental disabilities. Plus, artisans are involved in ALL phases of the business, from production to packaging, shipping, and sales. We love this.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Give the gift of being pampered. Package together their bath teas with their goat’s milk soap, include a fluffy towel, maybe a sheet mask, and package it all in a monogrammed tote they can use again and again.
Sammysoap - Sammysoap describes themselves as a job creation machine for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities disguised as the world’s best soap company. And they’re pretty amazing. We spent a TON of time on their site - they have great classic soaps, and we really loved their fun and sometimes funny novelty soaps.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: They have a soap for literally everyone: the beer lover, the bearded, your girl squad, your wacky family, the clean freak, and the sweet tooth - to name a few.
Expedition Soap - Spencer Kelly is an entrepreneur and founder of Expedition Soap. He also has Asperger Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, and this business his platform for supporting autism awareness and acceptance. Plus, they’re super committed to high-quality products with the best, cleanest ingredients.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Try one of their gift packs, which put together a lip balm and body butter of your choosing, and wrap it with decorative bag and a gift tag of your choosing. It’s a great teacher gift - or it can be sent directly to the recipient with a note, so it’s great for gifting from afar.
Lippy Lu - Lip balms and scrubs, bath salts, and other products that are created, fulfilled, and shipped by artisans with special needs. But it’s more than just products that pamper - behind each of their luxurious scents is also an artist who created the label. Beautiful products, beautiful purpose.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: So many great options, it’s tough to choose one. We love their beautiful travel pouches like this one. You can gift them on their own (or put a sweet note or gift card inside!), or buy them with the gift sets that include a body scrub, bath salt shot, lip balm, and lip scrub.
Brighton Launch Creations - Soaps, body scrubs, and bath bombs - in some really fun designs and scents (looking at you, vanilla chai body scrub and margarita body scrub). And everything from R & D to production to order fulfillment is handled by young adults with disabilities.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: One of the most unique products is their soapsicle that looks just like a bomb pop. This is SO fun (just don’t eat it!). Or, if you have a hippie in your life, they’d love the tie-dye patchouli body scrub. Pair it with a funky tie-dye shirt with a message.
Chai Ho Tea - What’s a better form of self-care than a relaxing cup of tea? Founder Angad Sahgal, a remarkable young man who has defied odds and shattered stereotypes, knows the right tea can help you become healthier and happier. So, he created Chai Ho Tea, which brings people together, one cup of tea at a time.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: From Hibiscus Winter Wine to Turmeric and Spice, the flavors here are lovely. Package together one of their loose leaf teas, along with a beautiful brass steeper, and a mug to enjoy it all.
Blissful Seeds - They’re planting the seeds of blissful lives for adults with autism and other disabilities through employment and entrepreneurship. From candles to bath bombs to soaps to even jewelry and trays, they have some beautiful items for the person in your life who deserves some pampering.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: So many great handmade items to choose from! These specialty candles poured in a faux-stone like concrete would make a great host gift. Or pair a soap (their soaps are so pretty!) with a unique soap dish.
Vichy’s Art - This teenager with autism has some serious talent. The art is absolutely gorgeous and is available in prints, greeting cards, and even calendars.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! Last year, I couldn’t pick just one print (they’re all amazing), so I went with a calendar that sits on my desk, and I highly recommend it. Another idea if you’re in Bulldog territory like we are (Go Dawgs) - consider sending out these Santa bulldog cards.
Allie Art Designs - Created by Allie Guard, a young woman with Down Syndrome who is drawn to the magic of color. Her art is creative and one-of-a-kind, brightening rooms and spaces.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: So many ideas! Grinch-themed Christmas decor for yourself. Or art for a cat lover. Or for the hippie in your life. Or the bird lover. Or an iCan Bike graduate!
Nate’s Funky Pics - Photographer and artist Nate has Down syndrome and an eye for all things funky. Super fun photography. Cool locations. I’d love a few of these in our home.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: If you’ve been saving up to surprise family members or loved ones with a trip to the beach or to Disney, consider using some of this gorgeous art and a luggage tag to deliver the news!
Grace Place Art - Grace is a young lady with Down syndrome. With a great artistic eye. Each GracePlace Art purchase allows Grace to practice basic life skills, while also spreading awareness.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Guide Project tested! As music lovers, we adore the Music to My Ears art, so we purchased some gift tags, and they were the perfect add to our teacher gifts. They also have an exciting collaboration with Happy Planner.
Alex the Artist - Alex Schlueter is a young man with autism spectrum disorder who is quite literally illustrating that people with special needs have wonderful talents. Talents that should be shared with the world - like his artwork.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: If your holiday cards aren’t done yet, you can get some gorgeous cards here! And you know what else you could do? Purchase a regular greeting card set (I’m loving The Koi and Tricia’s Bouquet), frame one, and give it as a gift.
Sophiola - Sophia is a young lady with a passion for art, dancing, music, family, friends, and fun. She also happens to have Down syndrome. And her art is beautiful - bright, joyful, and fun.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Wish a family member, teacher, or friend peace and love by combining the lively LOVE framed print and a peace and love candle.
Special Arts and Cards - Ajai is the artist behind these unique handmade canvas and greeting card creations. He’s also an autistic young adult who discovered his interest (and talent) in art accidentally when he was introduced to it as a form of therapy for anxiety and emotional regulation.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Check out his beautiful holiday cards, including Christmas and Hannukah cards. Or the canvas art. Or the coasters. And if you still can’t decide, try the 2024 calendar so you don’t have to pick just one.
Big Al’s Best - This business was created by a mom looking to create an opportunity for her son, Alex, to have meaningful work and activities to fill his adult life. Alex is a young man with autism who makes delicious toffee. The toffee only ships within California, but lucky for us, Alex is an incredible artist, too.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: If you’re looking for beautiful art paired with beautiful quotes, look no further. But one of the products that stood out to us the most was their cell phone storage box. If you know a family with a no-phones-at-the-table rule like us, this is a unique and decorative way to put that policy into place.
Finley’s - Lots of flavors for your pup! And every bag purchased helps people with disabilities gain confidence and independence through paid work experiences that will empower them for a lifetime.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The dog lover in your life will be touched if you gift them AND their fur baby. So choose some peanut butter and pumpkin treats for the pup and art for them!
Doggy Delights by Allison - Allison, a young woman with Down syndrome, is Chef and CEO. She makes healthy homemade dog treats - freeze dried, so no preservatives are needed (or included)!
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Try the holiday sweet season treats! Plus, they offer gift wrapping, so be sure to add that. And don’t forget their owner - gift them socks that show their love for their pets!
Gravitate Queen City - Their mission? Create an inclusive community and empower young adults with different abilities. All while baking all-natural dog treats for our furry friends.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Grab a bag of their treats, and pair it with a dog toy or a personalized dog bowl, and this funky leash / collar combo. Fido will thank you.
PawsAbilities - They provides skills training and job placement for people with disabilities. And some killer dog COOKIES, not to mention bandanas and other toys pups would love to find in their stocking.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Consider a “howl-iday” cookie and bandana for the pup and some dog-themed gifts for the owner, like this towel, or these playing cards (choose the blue dog!).
Brent’s Pet Pizzazz - Brent is passionate about animals. He also has autism, and started this business to share his passions with the world.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: For the dog lover in your life, consider a snuffle mat that will challenge and entertain their pup. Or get a snuffle mat kit, so they can make the mat themselves. Cat lover? No problem - get the catnip knot instead.
Brewhaus Handcrafted Dog Bones - This business provides more than just great treats for Fido. They work with local school districts and has students with disabilities participating in all phases of work, from planning/forecasting demand, making, baking, labeling and weighing bags, processing orders, attending community sales opportunities, calculating costs, counting money, and making bank deposits.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The pets in your life deserve to eat and live in style. So package together some treats from Brewhaus, a funky dog bed (or food mat), and a dog bowl.
Anthony Schmidt Photography - We knew these photos would be a hit with any classic car lover when we saw them. Then we discovered HOW the photos are made - Anthony, who is on the autism spectrum, takes photos of miniature cars and makes them look life-sized. The end result is SO cool - and you can purchase prints, a calendar, shirts - a lot of options.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The book has over 450 reviews, with a 4.9/5 rating. And it highlights how the photos shift perspectives on multiple levels, from making mini cars look life-sized to demonstrating how people are more than they appear on the surface. Pair it with some soap that motorheads will especially love.
Seeds for Autism - Jewelry, (gorgeous) cutting boards, gifts for bath and body - they have it all. And it’s from a business that provides a path from “learning to earning” for young adults with autism.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: This is a great source of holiday host and hostess gifts, like these cheese boards, this soap and soap dish gift set, or this wine lover gift set.
One for All - As I was putting together this list, I thought - wouldn’t it be great if there was a store dedicated to selling products created by people with disabilities? And there it was. They say they’re more than a collection of items to sell; they’re a collection of stories to tell. Amazing.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Your best bet here may be a gift card - there are that many things to choose from. Like apparel and accessories, home goods, books and stationary, and more. (See? We told you there was a lot.)
Three Basketeers - They offer a variety of unique gifts, curated by their Basketeers who have disabilities, along with MANY strengths, such as artistic ability, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Consider shipping a pre-made gift box to a long-distance family member or friend, or choose from their basket bits for stocking stuffers.
Spectrum Designs - They’re a custom apparel and promotional products business dedicated to creating meaningful and inclusive employment for a neurodiverse workforce, with more than 50% of their workforce on the autism spectrum and 100% of their sales going toward their mission.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Definitely check them out for your promo item needs year-round, but they also have a retail store. AND they have a few partnerships, one with some GREAT products for New York State Parks, and one with Colortime Crafts and Markers.
LINC-d - An entire collection of unique products by neurodiverse artists - we’ve spent a lot of time on this site, which has everything from artistic shower curtains and bathmats (seriously, check them out) to pajama pants to pet beds - and much more.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: There is SO much to choose from here. One thing that stood out was their options for the techie in your life: phone stands, phone cases, mousepads, and Air Pod cases.
Joy House - A gift shop featuring unique gifts created by individuals with developmental disabilities. Their goal? Spread love, awareness, and JOY, while helping promote financial independence for their artists.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: We love their positive messages! From Choose Joy to Best Day Ever, they have something for everyone on your list.
Passion Works Studio - THIS is inclusion! They create integrated settings where people with and without developmental differences connect through art. And the end result is unique, fun, and funky items, from totes to placemats and many things in between. Plus, they upcycle, which we love.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: The environmentalist in your life will love these! These passion flowers make great wall art or table centerpieces, and they use up-cycled aluminum printing plates from a local newspaper. Or try these mini ones, mounted on a wood block made of upcycled “bat nubs” from the Louisville Slugger Bat Museum.
Zuggy Etc. - Founded by three best friends who have Autism - who used their unique minds to accomplish a goal: create employment opportunities that give individuals with special needs something of their own to work toward and take pride in. And from cool accessory bags to handmade aprons, there is a lot to be proud of.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Consider an early gift for the friend who you know will be baking allll the holiday treats this season - this limited edition holiday apron. Pair it with the dry ingredients for yummy molasses drops.
[words] Bookstore - As an avid reader, I’m thrilled to have this bookstore on our list. [words] has hired over 100 young people with autism as part of their vocational training program. And they ship anywhere in the U.S.! Books are one of my favorite gifts to give (and let’s be honest, to receive, as well), so this is my new go-to.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: If you ask me, the online gift code they offer on their online store main page is a sure win for a bookworm. Pair it with a cabin library candle and these coasters that features the pages from classic novels.
Hardback YoYo - A unique and fun (and meaningful) business! Owned by an entrepreneur with Autism who sells products from discarded books and other media.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: A gift from here is guaranteed to be unlike any other gift your loved one or teacher gets. There’s something for everyone, from kids to Nancy Drew mystery lovers to those who love the classics, and everything in between.
Unintentional Humor - A series of hilarious books explaining the literal interpretation of language. Inspired and written by Brent Anderson, who is a self-advocate, entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, humor aficionado, and a young man with autism.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: We love the idea of pairing Unintentional Humor volumes 1 and 2 with a blank notebook or journal for the recipient to use to take notes on what they read - or to chronicle their own journeys with humor!
If You Had Wings - Lindsay Holcombe, an entrepreneur with Down syndrome, is serving the IDD community one birdhouse at a time. And she builds more than just cool birdhouses; each month, she donates all profits to a local nonprofit.
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: You can order from the designs they have in stock, or you can ask for a custom design, which can make for a super personalized gift. (I’m picturing a Georgia Bulldogs birdhouse, if we were to have one at our home!) And don’t forget the bird seed.
River Bend Gallery - Owned by Geoffrey Mikol, a professional artist with Down syndrome, this nature photography is stunning!
🎁 Guide Project Gift Idea: Create a nature-themed gift with a snow globes or a sticky (they don’t require hardware to hang!), seed packs, and a terracotta mug that they can use for planting a succulent OR for coffee. If you’re feeling humorous, throw in some plant socks, too.
The Guide Project is based near the Atlanta, GA and Athens, GA areas. There are some great local businesses that don’t ship outside the local area, but are GREAT to try if you’re nearby!
Jack’s Cheesecake (Oconee, Clarke, and Barrow Counties) - Also Guide Project-tested! And our taste-tester (who is somewhat of a dessert connoisseur; he’s 11, so that tracks) has declared this way better than a significant chain restaurant known for its cheesecake (or at least named after it). Give them a try - place an order for the holidays!
Crispy King (currently only shipping within Georgia, but soon nationwide) - On a mission to lower the unemployment rate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by 1%, while creating gourmet Crispy Treats. Seriously, check out their flavors.
Love.Craft.Athens - Guide Project-tested! Created for adults with developmental disabilities to have an outlet for creativity and to learn jobs skills by making and selling pottery and other crafts. You can contact them through their website if you’re looking for something for specific, or check them out in the community (we always see them at AthFest).
Brewable - Located in Alpharetta, GA, they serve up “more than meets the mug.” Their employees, who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, train, learn, and excel in a community cafe setting. Give a gift card and an invite for a post-holiday coffee date!
Know about a business not listed here? Tell us about it! Email stacey@guideeachother.org.