Voices of Community: Neurodiversity in Life and at Work

It’s going to take all of us. How TAP and Stannum Core Solutions are changing the workplace landscape for neurodiverse individuals across the U.S. 🇺🇸

Get inspired by this episode of Meristem's Voices of the Community, Harry, Erin and Ben Schatzel, Stannum Core Solutions' founder take a deep dive into what it takes for employers to change the landscape for neurodiverse job seekers and employers. 

🔹 Mer...

In this episode, Erin and Harry discuss what’s important to keep a job and what to expect in one of your first work experiences. Based on experiences in internships in the Transformative Autism Program, Erin and Harry offer tips like:

• be prepared and open for feedback, and consider asking for it each week from your manager
• practice communicating about your schedule, asking for time off, and other common scenarios 
• advice for emplo...

If getting a new job is a part of your 2024 goals, this is the episode for you! Harry and Erin share how Meristem operates its internship program, including how Meristem uses experiential interviews for neurodiverse candidates. 

Listen for: 

• more in-depth discussion of the Meristem Method and how Meristem prepares young adults and employers for internships
• how to coach someone to remove distractions and use their phone less
• key tip...

Erin Schirm shares how you can support Meristem this #GivingTuesday. 

Support Meristem's work with neurodiverse young people getting on the path to work and greater independence with a tax-deductable donation:  meristem.pro/get-involved/support-meristem

View Meristem's Holiday Wish List and help fund a specific need of the program. 
Fund a need goes live this Thursday, 11/30 at 12pm PT. 
Preview...

Meristem program graduate Ben Lewis reflects back on his experience at Meristem, what he loved about the community and the chance to live independently. He shares how he gained the skills to work on a farm and how those experiences influence his attitude toward a day’s work now. Ben shares his path to Meristem and how persistence helped him tackle his fears at college – even when he ultimately decides that wasn’t the path for him. ...

Harrison talks about different intellectual or developmental disabilities and asks Erin about how he has responded to difficult situations, like an outburst in class or overcoming anxiety. Listen for: 

• Tips for noticing what you have control over that can improve your well being
• How proving yourself to be reliable and responsible–even in jobs that are not your end goal–builds skills and confidence and can get you to a job you are...

Guest Eric Steward is the Director of Meristem’s Work Skills team and Transformative Autism Program. With Harrison and Erin, they discuss how they work with employers and neurodiverse job seekers and share:

• How to ask for support at work and why flexibility is a two way street 
• Why Eric encourages job seekers to watch the TAP employer training 
• How to stretch out of your comfort zone with self awareness
• How to overcome a negative e...

Meet hosts Harrison Lane and Erin Schirm. Harrison received an autism diagnosis in elementary school and now works with employers to help them hire neurodiverse people. Erin leads Meristem–a non-profit day and independent living program for autistic and neurodiverse young adults. We cover: 

• What Harrison does working with employers to build a culture that works for autistic people  
• What Harrison learned through Meristem’s indepe...

Host Harrison Lane introduces the Voice of Community podcast. 

This is Meristem’s Breaking Barriers Transformative Autism Program Voices of the Community Podcast. So what is Voices of Community you might ask? Well, if you're a job seeker, if you're an employer, if you're a community member interested in learning more about how to work with somebody that has neurodiversity, we're here to tell you about i...