by Larry Taylor, Ed.D., Executive Director Kentucky Autism Training Center
The Kentucky Autism Training Center and the Kentucky Office of Autism collaborated to offer the Regional Parent Summit at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park in Greenup, Kentucky. Parents of individuals with autism, self-advocates, and professionals gathered on June 28 and 29th to learn, network, and develop relationships.
The Summit began with Resource Roundtables, an activity that allows all participants to rotate through a series of tables that each host a different resource. Dr. Larry Taylor, Executive Director of the Kentucky Autism Training Center, provided an overview of Kentucky Works to each of the Summit’s participants. Participants were excited to learn about the partnership amongst the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute and multiple agencies in pursuit and award of an employment grant designed to improve outcomes for students with most significant disabilities in transitioning from school to career. Efforts from this employment grant have resulted in the development of KentuckyWorks.org website, this newsletter, and the issuing of the Employment First Executive Order (2018-328) signed by Kentucky’s Governor on May 15, 2018.
The following comments were made by Summit participants during the Resource Roundtable activity:
- “This is so important to me as a parent because I fear my son with leave school and not have a meaningful future.”
- “I had no idea people were working on this problem that my grandson is facing when he leaves school. I did not know this was a problem across our state and nation, I thought it was just a problem for rural communities”
- “I am so glad to hear these agencies are talking to each other about this problem facing people with disabilities.”
