feature story nonpareil Institute
Found opportunity
Rachel Boles (center)
along with co-founders
Gary W. Moore (left) and
Dan Selec. Moore and
Selec opened the
nonPareil Institute in
2010 to train and offer
employment for adults
with autism.
son Caleb is on the autism spectrum, feels the same
as many parents of children do – that their child has
no equal.
To serve their unique needs, Selec and his friend,
co-founder and president Gary W. Moore, whose
son, Andrew, also has autism, opened a hybrid institute-meets-tech-company in the building next to
Guildhall at SMU-in-Plano in 2010 to train and offer
employment opportunities for adults with autism who
have an interest in the tech space.
Crafted on Innovation
A first-of-its-kind company, the nonPareil Institute is
showing the world what North Texas innovation can
do. Currently, there is a waiting list of 75 adults to gain
acceptance into the institute and 500 more from across
10
the country and around the world who are seeking a
spot on the waiting list. Families have relocated to the
North Texas area to be able to offer this opportunity to
their son or daughter with autism.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimate that one in 88 American children are on the
autism spectrum. The disorder affects more than two
million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions
worldwide. Autism spectrum disorder and autism are
both general terms for a group of complex disorders of
brain development.
These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and
nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors –
all things that make it difficult for many individuals
with autism to have a career in the professional world.