Co-sponsored by the College Autism Network and College Ready
Hosted by Lee Burdette Williams, Executive Director, College Autism Network, and Matt Gunter, Founder, College Ready and Inclusive Academia
Four webinars, four topics to help prepare autistic students for college: housing, mental health, career services and transition programs
June 12, June 19, July 10, August 7. All sessions will take place at 7 pm ET
Registration Costs:
- Free for CAN members
- $99 for all four webinars in the series for non-members
- $35 for each webinar separately for non-members
All sessions will be recorded and available for registrants afterwards.
Thursday, June 12, 2025 – 7 p.m. EDT
Housing: Options, Support, Roommates
Outcomes:
- Learn how housing decisions are made
- Hear about different types of housing for autistic students
- Understand the process of requesting accommodations
Presenters:
- Kellie Nix M.S., CRC, LPC Associate, ENGAGE Project Associate Director, University of North Texas
- Alli MacNamara, MS, NCC, LPC, Director of College Support, ASPIRE, St. Joseph’s University
- Lindsay Hill, M.Ed., LPC, Access Specialist, BOND Program Coordinator, Michigan State University
- Grace Hunter, MS, Accessibility Specialist, Student Accessibility Center, Loyola University Chicago
Thursday, June 19, 2025 – 7 p.m. EDT
Mental Health: What Can a Student Expect? How Do We Prepare?
Outcomes:
- Learn about typical campus-based mental health services
- How does mental health support intersect with accommodations?
- How is a student’s mental health likely to impact their experience?
- What alternatives are there to campus services?
Presenters:
- Mindy Thornton, MA, MAC, AADC, Director, College Program for Students with ASD at Marshall University
- Amy Rutherford, LPC-MHSP-S, Director, College Autism Spectrum, College Autism Spectrum- The Navigate U Network
- Sharon Thompson, PhD, ASDCS, Coordinator, College Success Program, Eastern University
- Ashley Richardson Minnitt, LCSW-S, Director, Longhorn TIES Neurodiversity Support, University of Texas Austin
Thursday, July 10, 2025 – 7 p.m. EDT
Career Readiness: When to Start, How to Make the Most of Campus Support
Outcomes:
- How does a campus provide career support, and how might this be different for an autistic student?
- What questions can be asked about career exploration for neurodivergent students?
Presenters:
- Cherie Fishbaugh, Ed.D., BCBA, LBS, Director of Autism Services, West Chester University
- Ryan Palm, Executive Director of the Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity, Mercyhurst University
- Karen Krainz Edison, MSW, LISW-S, Associate Director, Ace! at OSU, The Ohio State University
- Kendra Evans MAT/MBA (she, her), Director of the Spectrum Support Program (SSP) and the Neurodiverse Hiring Initiative (NHI), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Thursday, August 7, 2025 – 7 p.m. EDT
Transitional Programs: When is This the Best Option? How Do We Choose?
Outcomes:
- How does one determine whether a transition program (post-high school/pre-college) is a good option?
- What kind of transition programs exist?
- How do transition programs coordinate with colleges and universities to create a smooth transition?
Presenters:
- Sarah David, Director, REED Autism Services PATH Transition Program, REED Autism Services
- Amy Radochonski, M.Ed., President, College Living Experience
- Jake Weld, M. Ed., Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Mansfield Hall
- Ron Samul, Director, Thames at Mitchell College, Mitchell College
