WanderRock leads international small group adventures for neuro-diverse young adults (18-32ish) with High Functioning Autism, ADHD, Anxiety etc. This is how we got here, what we believe, and how we actually run a trip.
WanderRock was founded in 2020 by Danny Raede and Ted Kempf. After years of working with neurodiverse teens and young adults, they kept seeing the same gap. There were plenty of long-term programs, but much of the learning happened in settings built for practice: social skills at a ranch, independence inside a program. What was missing was the chance to use those skills out in the world, where the decisions were real and the destination was somewhere worth going.
So they built WanderRock: small-group international trips where travelers experience unfamiliar places, make real decisions, and work things out together, with guides there when they need them.
Co-Founder / Head of Trip Development
Danny Raede was diagnosed at age 12 with what was then called Asperger's syndrome, as well as ADHD. He is the Executive Director of Offmap, a training and coaching organization for families on the autism spectrum, and co-founded WanderRock.
Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Danny now lives in London. He has traveled to 19+ countries across five continents and enjoys making Neapolitan pizza in his spare time.
Co-Founder / Head of Curriculum Development & Admissions
Ted has been involved in designing and building programs for neuro-diverse teens and young adults since 2008. He has a Masters in Secondary & Post-Secondary Education and has spent time living in South America, traveling Europe and studying Polynesian Anthropology & Ethnobotany in the South Pacific.
In his free time he enjoys surfing, playing soccer and spending time with his family.
Lead WanderRock Guide
Eileen has extensive experience living in Japan and working as a tour guide. She speaks fluent Japanese and has visited every Japanese prefecture except Okinawa. Beyond Japan, she has traveled to 10 other countries, including Taiwan, Italy, the Philippines, and Mexico.
What she loves most about traveling is experiencing places unlike where she grew up and immersing herself in the local culture.
Lead WanderRock Guide
Shane says "As a child, I was raised under the philosophy that the best way to learn about the world is to genuinely experience it for yourself. As such, I've had the fortune of being able to travel frequently and create those incredible defining moments in dozens of countries across four continents.
From racing down the Autobahn in Germany and swimming with sharks in Polynesia, to hiking with elephants in the jungles of Thailand and teaching ESL in Japan, I can't say I've seen it all, but I've certainly seen a lot. I also speak conversational Japanese and basic German, which has helped aid in both my travels and connections."
Our guides run the itinerary: coordinating transportation and reservations, leading group activities, and setting the time and place to meet. They know the routes, the neighborhoods, and where to find a good lunch.
The trip also includes unstructured time. Travelers can head off on their own, make their own plans, and rejoin the group at the agreed time and place.
“Well done for coming to breakfast” makes breakfast sound like an achievement. We do not congratulate adults for turning up, ordering lunch, or catching a train.
Guides pay attention without asking everyone to explain how they are doing every few hours. People get to experience the day without having to narrate it.
If a conversation is about a traveler, that traveler is included. We do not send progress reports. Parents can call us, and travelers can tell us what they do and do not want shared.
No morning circle, no going around the room, and no sharing an intention for the day. People introduce themselves and join conversations in their own time.
Rain, a wrong lunch order, a missed turn, or a genuinely difficult afternoon are not failures of the trip. Guides do not treat every uncomfortable moment as something that needs to be prevented.
The itinerary gives everyone somewhere worth going, with time for markets, shopping streets, unexpected stops, and whatever catches the group’s attention along the way.
What others are saying about WanderRock trips
"Guides are skilled in leading tours and promoting self-confidence while traveling. Kempf explains that these are groups "comprised of young adults that recognize and accept each other as true peers." He adds that "WanderRock creates unique spaces and life-enriching experiences for those that want to safely step into the unknown."'Read Full Article →
"Kempf and Raede, along with their team of trusted tour guides, have put careful thought into every aspect of each trip. Choosing simple and predictable accommodations means travelers have a safe place to recharge, for example. "The support is the curation," says Kempf."Read Full Article →
"Unbelievable. I use that word a lot because that describes most of the trip to Europe. It was just unbelievable.
My family goes on vacation about once or twice a year, and I've been suggesting Europe up for as long as I can remember, and we've never gone. I never really was confident that I'd be Self-sufficient enough to make it over on my own. And now having gone, it's it was just as amazing as I'd always imagined."