OARacle Newsletter

OAR’s fall 2024 webinar series focused on employment topics, such as vocational training, mental health, soft skills, and inclusion in the workplace, and barriers to employment like housing and transportation. Additionally, OAR hosted a panel webinar to foster conversation about neuroinclusion in the workplace and best HR practices. If you weren’t able to make it to the live events, you can access the archived webinars on OAR’s website.

• Fostering a Neuroinclusive Workplace: A Panel Discussion:  Chelsea Hartner facilitated a panel discussion that featured panelists Patrick Bardsley, Teresa Thomas, and Joy Carol Young. These experts shared their knowledge and tools for fostering a neuroinclusive workplace, including what has worked well for their organizations and what lessons they have learned along the way.  

• Recognizing and Supporting Mental Health Needs Among Autistic People in Employment: Dr. Jessica Schwartzman discussed the common signs of mental health distress among autistic people, how these may occur in employment spaces, and strategies for employers and other supporters of autistic adults. 

• Unlocking Employment Opportunities: Navigating Transportation and Housing Barriers for Autistic Adults: Pam Blanton and Kelsey Calder offered essential transportation and travel training tips, practical strategies for managing challenging living arrangements, and information about Section 8 housing subsidies.  

• Unlocking Potential of Autistic Youth: A Strength-based Approach to Empowering Employment Readiness through ASSET and EPASS: Dr. Connie Sung shared empirical evidence highlighting the efficacy of these programs in improving employment-related outcomes, such as work-related social-skills, self-efficacy, and even mental health. She also provided insights into how these programs can be integrated into broader employment support systems to facilitate successful career paths for autistic individuals. 

Live Webinars Highly Rated by Attendees

A total of 231 registrants attended the live webinars. Of the 119 participants who provided feedback, 98% percent reported the content as being helpful and relevant to their needs. One person who attended the Fostering a Neuroinclusive Workplace panel said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all this information. This is extremely helpful for me in so many ways.” An attendee at the Recognizing and Supporting Mental Health Needs Among Autistic People in Employment webinar said, “Thanks for the webinar! Great information and approach.”

OAR thanks the presenters and panelists for sharing their expertise on these important topics. 

We Welcome Your Feedback

To suggest future topics or provide general feedback on OAR’s webinar program, please contact us at webinar @ researchautism.org.