Studies have shown that when employees see their company as committed to diversity with an inclusive culture, they report more innovation, more team collaboration, and increased responsiveness to customer needs. 20% of all Americans are affected by disabilities, one in six children in the US have a developmental disability, and the prevalence of autism continues to climb at an alarming rate. In 2002, autism was reported to occur 1 in 150 persons which increased to 1 in 59 during the 2014 CDC report. Businesses have and will continue to benefit from hiring individuals with autism spectrum disorder improving their workforce diversity and ultimately their bottom line. Autistic ways of thinking visually, with hyper focused attention, and routinely can help your business. This session will illustrate how, cover 5 most common misconceptions of interacting with individuals with disabilities, demystify autism, and offer a trail guide to successfully hiring and integrating autism on your team.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn what defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Discover how diversity makes a positive difference, specifically diversity built from differing abilities and ways of thinking.
• Learn the 5 most common misconceptions of interacting with individuals with disabilities.
• Discuss the top 5 strategies for interviewing and hiring employees with ASD.
• Review ways to successfully integrate and retain employees with autism and differing abilities through fostering an inclusive culture.