Samantha Craft, M.Ed. is the president and founder of Spectrum Suite LLC, the lead job recruiter for ULTRA Testing, an autism educator, the author of the blog and book Everyday Aspergers, Selection Committee Chair at the ANCA World Autism Festival and is active in autism groups locally and globally. She can be reached on Twitter at aspergersgirls & at info@myspectrumsuite.com.
A former school teacher with a degree in adult education, Samantha creates innovative, interactive and engaging presentations on the topics of autism/Aspergers awareness, acceptance, self-empowerment, and employment.
Sam is currently finishing a manuscript entitled “Autism in a Briefcase,” after over two years of almost daily research on employment issues surrounding the neurodiverse workforce, including her own survey of 180 autistics worldwide and one-on-one interviews of agency leaders and autistics.
Recent Articles (Spring 2017)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-i-became-community-manager-neurodiverse-tech-company-ciampi
Neurotribe Finds Promised Land
Ultra Testing shows that autism in the workplace can be a feature, not a bug
Spring/Summer/Fall 2017 Public Presentations
May: Library, Autism Awareness & Everyday Aspergers (Chehalis, WA, USA)
May: Westside Olympia Rotary Club Autism Awareness (Olympia, WA, USA)
June: South Puget Sound Community College Guest Speaker (Olympia, WA, USA)
June 21st: Special Webinar Guest Speaker for a Special Mid-Week Session of ‘Alphabet 12’ Birmingham which takes place Wednesday 21st June 2017.
July 20th: Panelist for Easterseals Thrive honoring the anniversary of the ADA, including topics on independence, pride, support and togetherness, including as ADA relates to education and employment. (Online on Twitter. Tentative date 7/20 at 6pm CST)
July 21st: South Sound Olympia Rotary Club Autism Awareness (Olympia, WA, USA)
August: Video Presentation at Autism Awareness event in Colorado, USA
August: Shelton Rotary Club Autism Awareness (Shelton, WA, USA)
September: Lyon’s Club Autism Awareness (WA, USA)
September: A part of think tank at Spectrum Fusion’s Reactor Room
September: A contributor to Coding Autism first cohort
October 2nd: Workshop Presenter: Aspergers on Fire at World Autism Festival (Vancouver, B.C., Canada)
Workshops
Self-Empowerment for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
Join Samantha Craft, an experienced lead job recruiter for an innovative technology company and respected autism educator and author, as she explains the keys to self-empowerment. As a professional diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and former schoolteacher, Craft offers a unique perspective in this audience-participation workshop, which includes cultural trends, misconceptions and myths, beneficial aptitudes and attributes, learning and thinking styles, barriers to success, concepts of effective self-advocacy, and more. Get ready to move, interact, and gain valuable insights about autism and self-empowerment! During the workshop participants will be introduced to concepts, through a variety of learning methodologies, including group work, independent learning, and interactive participation.
Autism in a Briefcase: Tips on Recruiting and Retaining Untapped Talent
Enter the realm of an untapped talent pool. Take a look at how differences can be better, what an autistic employee can bring to a company, and ways to think outside the box with hiring practices. This session, written and developed by the lead job recruiter for an innovative technology company (with 75% of the software testers on the autism spectrum), introduces autistic traits, challenges, and strengths, and explains how to tap into a talented workforce. Learn the difference between diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the way to design an inclusion plan from the ground up, and how to avoid discriminatory practices and stereotyping. Unlike anything out there, this jam-packed workshop provides all you need to implement innovative, organizational change that will benefit all employees.
Autistic Influencers: Paving the Way for Personal Success
Learn, from the founder of Spectrum Suite, LLC, autism community advocate and author, how to overcame adversity and challenges to create more opportunities for a balanced, productive, and content life. Samantha pulls from her personal experience of corresponding with thousands of individuals on the autism spectrum, late-age diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, parenting a son on the autistic spectrum, living with her autistic partner, job screening neurodivergent job seekers, and establishing an autistic support group and company. Explore topics of self-acceptance, self-empowerment, independence, self-advocacy, employment, personal boundaries, self-care, and more. A hands on workshop you won’t find anywhere else, designed for anyone seeking to understand more about themselves, the autistic experience, and ways to give back to future generations.
Opportunity Makers: Empowerment for the Autistic Job Seeker
Enter the realm of Opportunity Makers! Learn how to tap into your individual power. Discover what desirable attributes an autistic can bring to the job, ways to think outside the box with gaining work experience, and proven strategies for navigating the recruitment process. Learn the steps in beginning the job hunt journey. Presented by a lead job recruiter who is also a respected author, this jam-packed session provides all you need on the road to job search success. Includes job boards and agency resources.