Special Hangout runs two kinds of programs side by side. We host regular community hangouts and events — open, low-pressure spaces for the wider neurodivergent community to connect, socialise, and belong. Alongside that, Imaginasium and Alma Studio are specially curated programs for neurodivergent young adults, offering structured training and creative livelihood pathways that turn individual strengths into real skills, income, and independence.
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Volunteer With UsEvery participant begins at Imaginasium. From there, two pathways — creative livelihood through Alma Studio, and formal employment through our SOLS ARC partnership — carry that foundation into real income.
The core training hub — where every participant begins. Turned one in June 2026. Our trained therapists and special educators, supported by visiting faculty including yoga trainers and sports instructors, run two tracks — an Employability Skills Program and a Vocational Program — with each young adult placed by suitability and in consultation with their parents. Weekly sessions span occupational therapy, music therapy, yoga, and storytelling, plus local and outstation trips and camps — like independent shopping outings and our first overnight camp to Igatpuri — that turn classroom skills into real-world exposure.
Photos: Summer School poster · first-anniversary celebration · Amazon Retail Program launch flyer · a group circle session.
Focus, task sequencing, memory & executive function.
Communication, emotional regulation & peer connection.
Special needs yoga, body awareness & stamina.
Workplace readiness, hygiene, time management & pre-vocational skills.
Launched in March 2026 at Dr Purandare's Clinic, Girgaon Chowpatty, Mumbai, Alma Studio is our flagship creative livelihood pathway — for participants whose strength mapping at Imaginasium points toward creative aptitude. Sessions in painting, clay sculpture, and free creative expression are as much about calm and sensory regulation as they are about art — the focus is on the joy of doing, not just the finished piece. Every brushstroke, sculpture, and creation reflects a participant's own imagination — and every rupee earned stays with them.
Photos: an artist with his finished abstract painting · a painting session with mentor guidance · one-on-one mentorship at Alma Studio.
Creative aptitude identified during Imaginasium via facilitator & OT assessment.
Sir J.J. School of Art faculty teach painting, sculpture, digital art & applied design.
Exhibition readiness — including Infinite Perspective 2.0 at Kala Ghoda — and an online storefront.
Artists own all work. Special Hangout takes no profit on sales, stalls, or corporate gifting.
How they connect: Imaginasium builds the foundation for every participant. Alma Studio and our SOLS ARC employment track are the two pathways that follow — chosen based on each individual's mapped strengths.
