Have a question about online animation classes for youth with autism

Have Questions about Animation Classes?

We’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked questions we get about our animation classes for autistic and neurodivergent youth.

If you have more questions, please feel free to contact us at the links below.

Nope! While we specialize in teaching children (and adults) on the autism spectrum, our classes are open to everyone who wants to learn animation. Students with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, communication barriers, and physical disabilities have also found success in DaniMation classes. We also accommodate the many symptom profiles within the autism spectrum—no matter how their autism manifests, we can help them learn, grow, and thrive.

Both! Our 1:1 (one-on-one) and group sessions are both through Zoom for the foreseeable future. We started online classes during 2020 and realized the benefits of having a student learn in a familiar, distraction-free environment on their own schedule. There are also in-person summer workshops you can sign up for here. These can pop up anywhere in the US or UK, but primarily in Los Angeles, Florida, and Plymouth. Be on the lookout for news about a workshop near you!

We were wondering that at first, too. However, we actually found that online classes might even be more beneficial. They allow a student to learn in a familiar environment free of the distractions found in our in-person locations. So a student can definitely find success in an online class.

We typically teach students aged 10-22, but we’re willing to make exceptions. Many of our students started young and grew up alongside DaniMation, maturing into instructors, professionals, or members of animation programs at universities.

No. Our Zoom classes are for everyone from anywhere around the world. Our students’ homes range from Austria to Australia! Because we work around your schedule, we’ll try our best with time-zone discrepancies between our instructors and students. When it comes to in-person workshops, anyone can join regardless if they’re from the US or not.

However, because most of our workshops are in the US, you’ll have to fly a long way to find us. (You aren’t alone in this problem, though. Many students travel far from home within the US). If you’re in Europe, it might be easier to join one of our workshops through the DaniMation UK branch. If you’re from Mars….unfortunately, we haven’t found a way to receive Zoom calls from that far away. We’re working on it, though.

Yes! The Flipaclip and Toon Boom software we use to teach animation are accessible through laptops, desktops, iPads, and drawing tablets. You can definitely set up a workstation at home to use during our Zoom classes. A student can take 1:1 and group online classes from home.

We work to keep our programs affordable, especially our 1:1 classes. The exact price depends on how many classes you’re ordering and whether they’re 1:1 or group classes. You can view the prices in our course catalog here.

A sprinkling of creativity, a willingness to learn, and a reasonably modern Windows PC, Mac, or Linux computer, iPad, Chromebook, or drawing tablet. We provide the software to download in the purchase of a class package.

First of all, whether someone is a “good artist” is subjective. But no, a student does not need any art experience (or museum-worthy talent) to join our classes. What matters most is an interest in animation and a desire to learn more. Everyone has to start from somewhere, and by the end of the DaniMation experience a student will have improved their art skills.

Our online group classes have a capacity of five people, while our workshops generally max out at fifteen students. Depending on the venue and circumstance, we might be able to accommodate more people. And of course, only one student can be in a 1:1 class. But you already knew that.

No, a student can take as many classes as they (or their parents) can afford. Even if they’ve aged past most of DaniMation’s students, they can still take classes with us if they wish. A student can also take just one class—but most of our students found DaniMation so fun and exciting that they’ve signed up for more!

Yes! Dani is an example of autistic individuals thriving within the industry. DaniMation provides an inclusive space for neurodivergent people to find careers in animation. We can connect students to animation programs at universities or to animation studios that might be good fits for them. You’d be surprised at how many of the animators that worked on famous shows/movies were on the spectrum!

DaniMation is not responsible for any trans-dimensional anomalies involving our student’s creations. 2-D to 3-D Enrealification Events result from problems with a computer or tablet, not DaniMation’s lessons. Keep calm and call an IT specialist. DO NOT PANIC. Animated entities become stronger and more ridiculous the more you react to them. If these uninvited partiers cause any property damage, please contact your Toon Insurance Provider.