Boston, MA – April 8, 2006 – Wentworth Institute of Technology is hosting the Symposium to Educate Employers: How to Hire and Work with Employees on the Autism Spectrum on April 20, 2006. This conference is made possible by a grant from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. with additional funding provided by Osram Sylvania.

According to a 2003 Roper Poll, 65 percent of adults living with autism disorders are unemployed or underemployed. The conference will help provide the necessary background for employers to be able to hire people with autism disorders and is geared towards human resources professionals and hiring managers from all industries.

Temple Grandin, professor at Colorado State University and renowned author, will be the keynote speaker. Dr. Grandin, who lives with an autism disorder, is a national expert on animal science, and has published several books including: Emergence: Label Autistic (1986), Thinking in Pictures: and other Reports from My Life with Autism (1996), and Animals in Translation: Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior (2005).

Lorraine Wolf, Clinical Director of the Office of Disability services at Boston University, will also speak. She is a leading expert on the cognitive functioning in children and young adults, and co-edited the book, Attention Deficit Disorders: Brain Mechanisms and Life Outcomes (2001).

While the event is geared towards employers, individuals with children on the autism spectrum, college faculty and college placement staff will find the symposium very informative as well. The workshop will cover the following topics:

Wentworth is committed to serving the community and is proud to present this event. The symposium is open to anyone who is interested in learning about this important issue our society faces. Please R.S.V.P by April 12th. For more information visit http://myweb.wit.edu/luckettm.

Academic Excellence • Community Service • Economic Impact.

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