Self-advocacy—the ability to communicate one’s interests, needs, and rights—is a key component in supporting greater independence among autistic people. Advocacy in the workplace is particularly important since autistics can often feel overlooked or under-supported in a neurotypical environment.
OAR recently concluded its fall webinar series focused on autism in the workplace. Those webinars and more from previous OAR series that focused on self-advocacy and autistic success in the workplace, are available for viewing on OAR’s website.
The Transition from Higher Education to the Workplace for Autistic Students, September 28, 2023
Emily Raclaw, the director of Marquette University’s neurodiversity support program, On Your Marq, and Molly Conners, a senior at the university, encouraged and offered advice to students, organizations, and academic staff to support this critical transition. Raclaw and Conners discussed strategies autistic students can use to make a successful leap into professional work.
Autism, Disclosure, and Workplace Accommodations, September 13, 2023
Melanie Whetzel, principal consultant and team lead for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), shared her expertise in workplace accommodations and disability employment advocacy with the OAR community. Her webinar focused on the complex umbrella term of “neurodiversity” in the workplace, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disclosure, accommodations, and performance and conduct, all with real-life examples.
How to Empower Youth For Employment & Adult Life, October 14, 2021
Christina Eagle, coordinator of the Program for Employment Preparedness (PEP) for Arlington Public Schools, shared ways to empower young adults to be successful in employment and offered transition plans for adulthood. Focusing on work-based learning, self-determination skills, and the use of talents for the accomplishment of goals, Eagle provided self-advocates and their communities practical ways to succeed. Her presentation highlighted the work PEP does as a public postsecondary program in Arlington County, Virginia. Alex, a student in the program, offered his perspective throughout the webinar.
Autism and the Skilled Trades, October 8, 2020
Danny Combs, the president and founder of Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT), dove into some of the uniquely useful talents and skills of the autism community. The webinar encouraged self-advocates, community partners, and their families to assess their skills and talents to find fitting careers and employment around their abilities. Combs’ engaging presentation also provided organizations with practical ways their training can set students and clients up for success.
All of OAR’s webinars are archived on OAR’s website for viewing at your convenience.
Receive updates on upcoming webinar events by signing up for the webinar mailing list. To suggest future webinar topics or provide general feedback on OAR’s webinar program, please contact us at webinar@researchautism.org.
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