News and Knowledge

Please welcome Hannah Ehrenberg, programs and outreach associate, and Courtney Carroll, Hire Autism associate. Ehrenberg started her job at OAR on May 28. She was drawn to OAR, she says, because of its focus on quality-of-life research, which she thinks “makes OAR really stand out in the field of autism research.” Carroll, who started working at OAR on June 28, is excited about helping to “promote inclusive workplaces throughout the community and on a national level.”

Hannah Ehrenberg

As with many of OAR’s staff, Ehrenberg has a personal connection to autism — she is autistic herself. “Autism is a part of my identity that I greatly value. After being diagnosed as an adult, learning more about autism and disability more generally, and becoming more involved with autistic communities, I have become passionate about giving back to the community in the ways that I can,” she says.

Ehrenberg is excited about the variety of programs she gets to be involved in, spanning research, advocacy, education, and more. Making information accessible to more people in the autism community is the heart of the job and she is glad to take it on. In fact, she got started almost immediately by coordinating this issue of the newsletter. Expanding OAR’s reach is something near to her heart—she hopes to widen OAR’s audience to include more self-advocates and to promote the neurodiversity model of autism.

Prior to coming to OAR, Ehrenberg taught English to high school students at the Lexington School for the Deaf in East Elmhurst, N.Y. She has a Master of Education in education of the deaf and hard of hearing and secondary education (English) from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Barnard College.

Courtney Carroll

While Carroll doesn’t have a personal connection to autism, she has volunteered within the Harrisonburg community and school systems to raise awareness about autism and promote inclusion. She completed an autism certificate at James Madison University, where she minored in special education. She also worked for three years at a non-profit as a life skills instructor for individuals 18 years and older with developmental disabilities.

What she learned through those experiences will provide a foundation for her position with the Hire Autism program, where she will collaborate with other Hire Autism staff to create new resources and workshops for employers to help foster more inclusive workspaces. She will also work closely with the volunteer navigators, recruiting and training people so that more job seekers can be supported and mentored. “Having this role at OAR and with Hire Autism specifically gives me the opportunity to support autistic job seekers in finding meaningful employment. That we can give them the tools and skills they need and provide them with the assistance of mentors through Hire Autism’s Navigator Program is a great step forward.”

After graduating James Madison University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in health education, Carroll was a registered behavioral health technician with Green Box ABA, providing applied behavior analysis services to autistic children and tracking their progress.

Both are enjoying their new roles and the opportunities to contribute to an organization they admire. They are also happy to have a friendly and dedicated group of colleagues to work with.