Autism in the Family

It is not easy to be the parent of a child with autism. Autism affects the entire family. This program in Spanish is presented by Emily Iland, the mother of a young man with autism, author, and leader in the autism field. We will discuss subjects that are important to your family, like understanding and accepting autism, explaining autism to others (including siblings), and even explaining autism to the person who has it. This program offers hope, inspiration and practical suggestions for managing life with autism.

Emily Iland, MA, is an award-winning author, advocate, film-maker, researcher and leader in the autism field. As the mother of a young man with ASD, she brings personal experience and insight to her professional roles. Emily is an experienced educational consultant, president of the Autism Society of Los Angeles, and adjunct professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge. She is a guest lecturer at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.

Emily has a Master’s degree in Special Education and recently earned a certificate of advanced study in Educational Therapy. Her many projects include curriculum and programs development for safety, inclusion and equity. She is the author of the LAPD Autism Awareness program that teachers the police how to interact with people with autism. Her new film, BE SAFE, teaches young adults with ASD how to interact safely with the police. The Movie and Companion Curriculum will be available in September, 2013.

Emily offers parent education and staff training in English and Spanish, and is in high demand as a conference presenter in the US and abroad on almost every topic related to ASD. She was recently honored by the California Senate for her work with the Senate Select Committee on Autism Taskforce on Equity and Diversity. After being nominated by her son Tom, Emily was recognized as an “International Icon of Autism Advocacy” by Single Mothers Outreach of Santa Clarita.