Past Webinar

This panel took place on Thursday, October 10, 2024, with panelists Patrick Bardsley, Teresa Thomas, and Joy Young and moderator Chelsea Hartner.

Resources:

Hire Autism Flyer

Job Seeker Resources

Video Transcript

Collectively Neurodiverse Infosheet

Webinar Description: 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.

Chelsea Hartner is the Founder of Collectively Neurodiverse, a Metro-Detroit-based company. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Practitioner certified in 360 Inclusive Leadership Compass coaching, she partners with People Operations teams and organizational leaders to foster neuroinclusive workplaces through targeted training and consulting. With nearly a decade of experience in customer service, recruiting, training, and people strategy, Chelsea helps organizations better support and empower neurodiverse strengths.

As Spectrum Designs Foundation’s CEO and Co-Founder, Patrick Bardsley oversees the day-to-day running of Spectrum Designs and Spectrum Suds. He holds a master’s in special education, with a concentration in Behavior Analysis through Long Island University, NY. Under Patrick’s leadership Spectrum’s businesses have generated annual revenues of over $6m and created more than 50 jobs for those on the spectrum in a team of 70+ employees. Patrick brings an enormous skill set that spans many disciplines, as well as almost 20 years of experience working with people with developmental disabilities.

Patrick is chairperson of the board at NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled) which is responsible for more than 4,700 jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities who earned $79.8 million in wages in 2023. He is also a proud Ambassador for Delivering Jobs, an inclusion campaign dedicated to creating pathways to 1,000,000 employment and leadership opportunities for people with autism, intellectual and/or developmental differences by 2025.

Constantly curious, Joy Young is committed to discovering the diverse strengths, struggles and insights of others. Her career roles include corporate neurodiversity advisor and coach, school administrator, teacher, and international aid worker.

Active in the global advancement of neuroinclusion, Joy coached talent and leadership in the EY NCoE. Promoting the EY Neurodiversity Community she assisted in the organization and delivery of EY’s first Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

Joy credits her insights and understanding to the gift of living with and learning from her neurodistinct husband of over forty years, her autistic son and her ADHD daughter. Joy currently serves organizations in promoting neuroinclusive communities that value, leverage and honor all kinds of minds.

Teresa Thomas is The MITRE Corporation’s Program Lead for Neurodiverse Talent Enablement and has a long history of advocacy for neurodiverse populations, including co-authoring the Neurodiversity@Work Playbook: Federal Edition. She is a parent of an adult on the autism spectrum, designed and spearheads MITRE’s internal neurodiversity internship program, develops and runs pilot neurodiversity hiring programs at federal agencies, and is active in MITRE’s Inclusion and Diversity programs.