OAR’s fall 2024 webinar series will focus on topics of employment, such as vocational training; mental health, soft skills, and inclusion in the workplace; and barriers to employment like housing and transportation. Additionally, OAR will host a panel webinar to foster conversation about neuroinclusion in the workplace and best HR practices. Join us this fall for four live webinars, coordinated by OAR Programs and Hire Autism staff, that will offer practical strategies, tools, and support plans for autistic adults, employers, parents, and professionals.
OAR’s webinars are free and include a Q&A session with the presenter(s). If you are unable to attend a live event, you can access a recording of each webinar one week after the live event date.
Fostering a Neuroinclusive Workplace: A Panel Discussion
October 10, 2024, at 11 am ET
Moderator
Chelsea Hartner, founder of Collectively Neurodiverse
Panelists
Patrick Bardsley, CEO and co-founder of Spectrum Designs Foundation
Teresa Thomas, program lead for Neurodiverse Talent Enablement at The MITRE Corporation
Joy Carol Young, neurodiversity speaker and advisor for Trove, Inc.
Whether you are an executive, HR professional, recruiter, manager, inclusion leader, or interested in creating a more inclusive workplace, you will not want to miss the opportunity to learn from experts on how to contribute to a more autism-inclusive workplace. Panelists will share their knowledge and tools for fostering a neuroinclusive workplace. They will offer practical strategies and actionable steps HR professionals can use to educate their teams about interviewing, onboarding, hiring, and supporting autistic individuals. Panelists will also share their personal experiences, including what has worked well for their organization and what lessons they have learned along the way.
Recognizing and Supporting Mental Health Needs Among Autistic People in Employment
Presented by Jessica M. Schwartzman, Ph.D.
October 24, 2024 at 12 pm ET
In this webinar, Dr. Jessica Schwartzman will review prevalence rates of mental health outcomes in autistic people across the lifespan, particularly young people in the transition to adulthood. Information on the common signs of mental health distress among autistic people and how these may occur in employment spaces will be discussed. The presentation will include strategies for employers, families, educators, and others to support the well-being of autistic people in employment spaces.
Dr. Jessica Schwartzman is an Assistant Professor in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, licensed clinical psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Director of the Training and Research to Empower NeuroDiversity (TREND) Lab. Her clinical and research efforts focus on understanding adverse mental health outcomes in autistic youth and adults, and ways to partner with autistic people to develop interventions and supports.
Unlocking Employment Opportunities: Navigating Transportation and Housing Barriers for Autistic Adults
Presented by Pam Blanton and Kelsey Calder
November 6, 2024, at 1 pm ET
Reliable transportation is critical for maintaining employment, yet many autistic individuals experience difficulty navigating public transit systems, driving independently, or coordinating their travel plans. Additionally, the lack of affordable housing with safe living arrangements and supports can cause layers of stress and instability that negatively impact work performance. The presenters will offer essential transportation and travel training tips, practical strategies for managing challenging living arrangements, and information about Section 8 housing subsidies.
Pam Blanton‘s career has spanned 30 years in special needs housing. As a housing coordinator in Seattle, she has assisted around 450 people with IDD with their move into housing over a 5-year period and has built an in-depth working knowledge of how to help people navigate SSI, SSDI, State Residential Support, Medicaid-funded personal care services, supported employment income, and Section 8 housing subsidies. Her career goal, and my company’s mission, is to empower families to create housing solutions that meet the unique needs of their Loved Ones with IDD and create a real solution for the future.
Kelsey Calder is recognized as the first nationally certified travel training instructor. She was a licensed special education teacher for ten years. Kelsey works for GRTC as their travel training instructor, a role in which she created and implemented GRTC’s first travel training program specializing in individuals with disabilities and senior citizens for the past 9 years. The program has trained over 275 individuals and groups through one-on-one training, personal mobility device training, and bus orientations.
Unlocking Potential of Autistic Youth: A Strength-based Approach to Empowering Employment Readiness through ASSET and EPASS
Presented by Connie Sung, Ph.D.
November 13, 2024, at 12 pm ET
This presentation will describe the ASSET and EPASS programs, which use a strength-based approach to enhance employment readiness among transition-age autistic individuals. By focusing on soft skills development and manualized employment training, these interventions are designed to bolster confidence and competence in the workplace. Presenters will discuss the theoretical underpinnings of strength-based practices, the structure and components of the ASSET and EPASS programs, and share empirical evidence highlighting their efficacy in improving employment-related outcomes, such as work-related social skills, self-efficacy and even mental health. The session aims to provide insights into how these programs can be integrated into broader employment support systems to facilitate successful career paths for autistic individuals.
Dr. Connie Sung is a professor at Michigan State University and co-director of the MSU Center for Services, Training, and Research for Independence and Desired Employment (STRIDE). Dr. Sung’s research focuses on developing and evaluating community-based interventions for advancing career development and improving the psychosocial adjustment of autistic individuals. She has authored over 90 publications and secured more than $20 million in research funding. Her work involves global collaborations, extending to European, Asian and African countries. Dr. Sung’s efforts are recognized globally, including presentations at the United Nations General Assembly’s Science Summit.
We Welcome Suggestions and Feedback
To suggest future webinar event topics or provide general feedback on OAR’s webinar program, please contact us at webinar@researchautism.org.
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