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A male student and his caregiver stand in front of the Seattle Children's Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center sign on a blue wall inside the center

Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center

Welcome to Our Community of Lifelong Learners

Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center offers lifelong learning for people 18 and older with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. We help you build on your strengths, gain independence, connect with others and take part in the larger community in a meaningful way.

With virtual and in-person classes and outings, we have options for people of all abilities and interests. Whichever offerings you choose, you will have plenty of chances to make new friends. Our motto is RISE: Respect everyone, Include everyone, Support others, and Enjoy our time together.

Classes, Outings and Support Groups

We offer a wide range of classes all year long in art, music, recreation, health, fitness and life skills. Instructors who are experts in the class topics teach with guidance and support from on-site behavior specialists. If you want to socialize, have fun and grow with a supportive group of peers, we invite you to check out our catalog.

See what classes and outings are coming up.

Join Our Program

At the Alyssa Burnett Center, we accept and celebrate you for exactly who you are. During our intake process, we get to know you and your goals to decide which of our programs are a good fit. We also find out what supports you may need to have the best experience here. Please contact us if you would like any help getting started.

Learn about the steps in our intake process.

Payment and Billing

Costs depend on class topic, length and number of classes. We offer scholarships to families with financial need who could benefit from our programs. We also welcome families who want to pay with Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) respite hours.

Get more details about payment and billing.

Success Stories

A man standing outside by a sign that says Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life CenterJohn’s Story

After starting out as a student at the Alyssa Burnett Center, John Wennberg was hired to join the staff and assist with classes. He says the community here helped him in his journey to self-acceptance.

“We are always open to learning more about each other, and instead of focusing on each other’s weaknesses, we focus on each other’s gifts, talents and what each person has to offer.”

– John Wennberg, who wrote about the difference between surviving and thriving for The Autism Blog

Ways to Get Involved

Volunteers, interns, teachers, partners and donors help guide our programs, assist with classes and outings, provide job skills training, raise funds and make our communities more inclusive.

About the Alyssa Burnett Center

Seattle Children’s joined with the Burnett family in 2014 to launch the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center to enhance the life of adults with developmental disabilities after they age out of school.

Seattle Children’s complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.