Events

Employment Specialists have a significant amount of autonomy in their jobs which can make them feel out of touch with what other Employment Specialists are doing, what practices they are using, resources they utilize, what struggles they are facing.

Join us on the 4th Friday of each month form 10am - 11am for the E1A Community of Practice. This monthly event will provide an opportunity to learn, teach, share and network with other Employment Services Professionals. Topics include resources, job development techniques, person centered supports, long term success and so much more.

This Webinar session explores current employment outcomes for individuals with brain injury and places them within the broader national disability landscape. Participants will receive a practical overview of current employment data and national disability trends that promote job placement and retention. Attendees will also explore state and national resources developed specifically to support individuals with brain injury and gain concrete guidance to help navigate state vocational rehabilitation and other center systems, seek employment, and sustain meaningful work.

Learn how to:

Understand how local community engagement shapes the design of
developmental disability supports in your community
Educate and engage individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers
to fully participate in voting, public forums, and community decision-making
Engage candidates and elected officials on policy and community-support
priorities
Understand how to hold the right leaders accountable for delivering the
changes the disability community is demanding

Empowering Youth Through STEAM, Surfing, and Self-Discovery
Dates: July 6 to July 31, 2026 | Location: Helen Keller National Center, New York
Ready to discover what you're capable of? HKNC's Summer Youth Vocational Program (SYVP)
helps youth explore careers through hands-on work experience at multiple job sites. You'll dive
into STEAM projects, experience activities like adaptive surfing, and develop self-advocacy skills,
all while discovering your strengths. SYVP is about exploration and possibility, giving you the
confidence and skills to shape your own future.
Program Highlights
● STEAM Activities: Engage in hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math
projects
● Adaptive Surfing: Combine physical activity with social-emotional learning, self-determination,
and career awareness
● Motivational Speakers: Hear inspiring stories from leaders and changemakers
● Self-Empowerment & Advocacy Workshops: Build confidence, communication, and
self-advocacy skills
● Work Experience: Participate in real-world job tasks and workplace readiness training
Come to NY and join your peers ages 16-24 from around the country to learn skills that lead to employment success, and to experience what NY can offer you. Enjoy a boat ride, treasure hunt, talent show, swimming, crafts, Dave & Buster’s, mall shopping, bowling, BBQ’s and NYC! It will be 4 memorable weeks over your summer!

Targeted Job Development (aka How to Know Where to Go to Look for Jobs That Make Sense).

We all know that individualized jobs are important for people with significant disabilities. But figuring out what would be good and then how to go find it can be overwhelming! This session will explore strategies of how to really apply the idea of personalized jobs. These strategies will lead the employment specialist to create a prioritized list of where to begin job development, who to contact and a name to get you in, what specific types of work you are seeking, and why you believe this company is a good fit for the individual. Network development, including who to invite into the conversation and how to do so, will also be included. These ideas are applicable in both urban and rural settings focusing the job development efforts on personal, direct relationships rather than impersonal "big box" strategies

We all know that individualized jobs are important for people with significant disabilities. But figuring out what would be good and then how to go find it can be overwhelming! This session will explore strategies of how to really apply the idea of personalized jobs. These strategies will lead the employment specialist to create a prioritized list of where to begin job development, who to contact and a name to get you in, what specific types of work you are seeking, and why you believe this company is a good fit for the individual. Network development, including who to invite into the conversation and how to do so, will also be included. These ideas are applicable in both urban and rural settings focusing the job development efforts on personal, direct relationships rather than impersonal "big box" strategies

This presentation will focus on how healthcare professionals and caregivers of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) can support them through the aging process, specifically when there are indicators of dementia present. Participants will learn about the aging process, including similarities and differences between neurotypical and neurodiverse populations. Special attention will be paid to differential diagnosis and diagnostic overshadowing of individuals with I/DD and dementia.

Join us on Saturday, August 8th for an afternoon of cornhole and FUNdraising! Triangle YP Civitan is raising money for Special Olympics NC through the Over the Edge fundraiser! For each $1,000 we raise for SONC, we will send a Triangle YP member rappelling down the Pendo building in downtown Raleigh. The Cornament -- our annual cornhole tournament -- is our biggest fundraising event to support and raise awareness for an organization we love to partner with. There will be plenty of great drinks, food, Kona Ice, and a silent auction with tons of great items from local businesses!

Registration is $40 for a two-person team. The event begins at 1:00 pm and bags fly at 2:00 pm.

The first place team will be awarded a $200 cash prize and the runner-up will receive $100.

All proceeds from registration and the silent auction will benefit Special Olympics NC!

The 45th TEACCH Autism Program Conference, "Thriving with Autism: Strengthening Neuroaffirming Practices,” brings together educators, clinicians, researchers, autistic advocates, and families to explore approaches that honor neurodiversity and promote authentic wellbeing. This conference centers lived experience, evidence-informed strategies, and collaborative solutions that empower autistic individuals to thrive in every environment — from classrooms and clinics to workplaces and communities.

The following topics and speakers will be featured at this year's conference:

Operationalizing Neurodiversity: Understanding the Implications of the Movement on Service-Provision
Ari Ne'eman, Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management
Supporting Neurodiversity in Early Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions
Aubyn C. Stahmer, PhD, BCBA, University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Structured TEACCHing as Neuroaffirming Practice: Designing Classrooms for Autonomy and Engagement
Jenny Eigenrauch, MSRA, University of North Carolina, TEACCH Autism Program
Perspectives on Neuroaffirming Care from Autistic Individuals and Their Family Members
Co-Moderated by:
Christina Corsello Orahovats, PhD, University of North Carolina, TEACCH Autism Program
Cameron Hollister, MSW, BS, University of North Carolina, TEACCH Autism Program
Adult Autism Assessment: Understanding Strengths and Needs to Promote Thriving
Vanessa H. Bal, PhD, Rutgers University, GSAPP
Addressing Profound Needs and Affirming Human Rights in Autism Across the Lifespan
Giacomo Vivanti, PhD, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre, Department of Pediatrics
Improving Healthcare for Autistic Adults: Insights from Research and Practice
Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, Portland State University, School of Social Work, and Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Medicine