OAR is hosting two free webinar events in the coming months on the topics of travel training and employment. Those who attend the live events will receive a certificate of attendance.
Thursday, September 17, 11 a.m., ET
Presenter Earnst Ilang-Ilang will discuss transportation training, services, and challenges for people with autism. Meaningful community participation is important for increased social interaction, access to services, and overall quality of life, and transportation plays a critical role in providing individuals access to such services and activities. Conversely, public transportation can act as a barrier to integration for those who are unable to independently use it.
Ilang-Ilang will discuss how to increase safety and security for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learning to use public transit and share travel training procedures. He will also offer specific information about local transportation options for those living in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Ilang-Ilang is a former U.S. Navy sailor who was honorably discharged after being diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a painful nerve disorder. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Since graduating, he has maintained a career in the mental health field as a clinician, supervisor, and social worker. Using his knowledge of disabilities and mental health issues, Ilang-Ilang trains individuals in the D.C. metro area on the skills necessary to effectively utilize transportation.
Register for Transportation: Options and Concerns for People with Autism, which includes a Q&A session.
Thursday, October 8, 11 a.m., ET
Presenter Danny Combs will discuss how organizations, individuals with autism, and their families can set people with autism up for employment success. Combs will discuss how to help organizations find community partners and scaffold their training to set up students for success. Individuals with autism, and family members, will learn how to assess their skills and talents to find careers and employment around those abilities.
Combs is the president and founder of Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT), a nonprofit that teaches individuals with autism trade skills. After 10 years in the music industry, he began to cultivate his passion for education by teaching private lessons and running the music program at an inner-city high school in Nashville, Tenn. He was granted several awards in teaching, including a Grammy Enterprise Award for the program he designed in the Nashville schools. He also became a published educational author, arranger and songwriter. Combs has a master’s degree in education, is a board-certified cognitive specialist, and a certified autism specialist. He has two children, Dylan and Ellie. When his son Dylan was diagnosed with autism, he pulled from his family legacy and put together TACT.
Register for Autism and the Skilled Trades, which includes a Q&A session.
Please contact programs@researchautism.org or call 703-243-9762. For more information on OAR’s webinar program, or to view archived presentations of past webinars, go to OAR’s website.
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