Testimonials and Reviews
Please enjoy the testimonials and reviews on Emily’s programs, projects, books, and training events. Please click here to submit your review for possible inclusion on our website.
Experience Autism
“As the Training Coordinator for the Burbank Police Department, I was excited to hear of a possibility to bring training on Autism to my Department. With the knowledge that the rates of ASD are on the rise and the likelihood of having a police interaction with someone with ASD caused me a level of concern. Based on what I knew of the aspects of ASD, my fear was the outcome with a field interaction with someone with ASD would result in a use of force that could otherwise have been avoided or a missing person with ASD would not be handled with appropriate care and resources. Also, I had a personal experience related to a missing child with ASD, which did not have a favorable outcome last year. This incident happened near my home and brought a real sense of urgency to this training. After attending this training course and watching my Department attend, I am much more confident that the Burbank officers in the field are now better prepared for an encounter with someone with ASD. Thank you for the “tools in the toolbox” that all my officers now have from this training.”
Sergeant Justin Meadows Burbank Police Department Training Coordinator
“Thank you very much for training us! I learned so very much! I loved all the activities that helped bring about understanding and compassion. This was truly one of the better trainings of my career!”Sergeant Art Bedard Los Angeles Police Department
Hollywood Community Police Station
“Thank you very much for training us! I learned so very much! I loved all the activities that helped bring about understanding and compassion. This was truly one of the better trainings of my career!” Det. Ericka Stropka Tucson Police Department Vulnerable Adult Abuse Unit
BE SAFE The Movie
The Be Safe instructional video fills a critical gap in personal safety training for persons with disabilities: How to conduct yourself with the police. The material is presented in an accessible, easy to understand format that utilizes the evidence-based instructional method of video modeling to teach young people how to Be Safe when interacting with the police.
The video addresses every parent’s fear about how their son or daughter with a disability will respond when confronted by the police and provides a tool to begin the discussion by offering visual and verbal examples of how to behave in situations involving law enforcement.
This is a “must see” video for all young people with disabilities and should be an essential part of the curriculum in every program that teaches independent living, community access and personal safety skills. The video can be viewed in its entirety or shown in segments as an introduction to lessons on safety laws, self-advocacy and what to do if you are stopped or arrested by the police. Kudos to Emily Iland for providing the disability community a much-needed resource! Diana Blackmon, Ed.D., Educational Consultant Primary author, Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide (2008).
“I was excited to see with my own eyes a program that has been in demand for a long time. Having been a Special Education teacher, a 28 year CHP veteran and a person with a Special Needs member in my family, I understand many of the challenges our special needs kids face. Thank you for allowing me to be part of such a great event.” Palmdale Mayor Pro Tem Tom Lackey, now California Assembly Member, who participated in a BE SAFE Interactive Movie Screening
BE SAFE is a really important film that every autism parent should view and share with their child, it’s so smart! As an autism parent I was amazed at how many things featured in the video it never occurred to me to share with my child, and already it’s making a tremendous difference in his ability to keep himself safe. This film is ideal for individuals who are on the autism spectrum, but it covers a wide range of topics that are good for any kind of disability. It’s great for our kids, going into teen and adult years. I really am so grateful to Emily Iland and to Inclusion Films for making this video. I love how informative it is and how they show the same event from different perspectives. It’s really brilliantly crafted… I know that this video is going to help keep our kids safe, and there’s nothing more important than keeping our children safe. Shannon Penrod, Host of Autism Live
As an Executive Director at West-Central Independent Living Solutions, I have found the curriculum for “Be Safe the Movie” to be invaluable. It has created a bond between our center and the Police Departments for all the counties we serve, as well as helped our youth populations. With the movie, we are able to present youth with disabilities the tools to stay safe and keep interactions with the police non-confrontational and positive. Great job Emily Iland on creating this wonderful resource. I highly recommend it to schools, Centers for Independent Living, parents and anyone else who wants to create a bridge for disabled to interact and be independent in their communities. Kathy Kay
Professor, Author, Self-Advocate, and Leader in the Autism Community.
“An excellent tool for bringing safety education into the classroom and beyond. Ideal for school, home and community programs for learners with ASD and similar conditions.” Stephen Shore, Ed.D.
The issue of Law Enforcement and individuals with ASD is a huge one…Thank you for your heart, obvious hard work and time, to help the world understand those who can’t speak for themselves. Giving this kind of support and information is invaluable for those with developmental disabilities and other disabilities. Diana Abramowski, A Social Place, Inc. (ASP), Idaho
Thanks Emily for all you do for people with Autism – your program [BE SAFE] is amazing! All young people on the spectrum should go through it. I endorse it whole heartedly! Joanne Broutt (Speech pathologist and social skills instructor)
Drawing a Blank
“I get asked by parents all the time about their child’s problems with reading comprehension. This book provides lots of practical, easy-to-teach methods for improving vocabulary and comprehension. Some of the teaching tools include teaching synonyms, looking up pictures on the Internet to teach nouns, and using lists of words with different shades of emotional meaning such as naughty, bad, and evil. I highly recommend this book for use with all individuals who have problems with reading comprehension.”
–Temple Grandin, Ph.D., author of Thinking in Pictures and Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
“Combining evidence about the reading comprehension process and teaching this vital skill, along with her extensive personal and professional knowledge of autism, Emily Iland has made a landmark contribution to teaching students with autism and good decoding skills. For too long, professionals and parents have been tricked by the strengths of these bright students and haven’t had the insight or the skills to help them maximize their potential. Now, guided by this volume, practice and research can go forward. Changed by her child with autism, Iland has given us valuable guidance and direction.”
–Robert Naseef, Ph.D., psychologist, author of Special Children, Challenged Parents and co-editor of the DVD Voices from the Spectrum
“This is a book we have been waiting for! Until now, little information has been available about teaching reading to students with autism spectrum disorders. In Drawing a Blank, Emily Iland has not only provided dozens of useful ideas for the classroom and home but also a concise review of the literature and a compelling story of her own quest to secure appropriate supports for her son. Every reading teacher in K-12 schools needs two copies – one to keep and one to pass on to a colleague.”
–Paula Kluth, Ph.D., author of You’re Going to Love This Kid: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom
“Drawing a Blank offers practitioners and families practical strategies for supporting reading comprehension for learners with ASD. The text format is easy to read and well structured to support quick access to specific strategies and ideas. Most important, Emily Iland recognizes the limited research on reading comprehension and ASD while offering suggestions for making sound, individualized instructional decisions. This text will be a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, SLPs, and many others!”
–Christina Carnahan, Ed.D., associate professor of special education, the University of Cincinnati, and co-editor of Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
“From her personal ‘laboratory’ at home with her son, Tom, and her qualifications as an educator and educational therapist, Emily Iland has made a substantive contribution to the limited body of resources for remediation of reading comprehension problems for individuals with ASD. This book is indeed a gift of hands-on specifics–not just a “What Do You Do on Monday?” scheme, but aguideline of techniques for every day in the remediation of youngsters struggling to comprehend the readings that will open the door to meanings in their lives meanings – beyond the schoolroom.”
–Dorothy Ungerleider, MA, BCET, founding president, Association of Educational Therapists
“As parent to an adult on the spectrum who continues to struggle with reading comprehension, I only wish this book had been available to share with educators during my son’s elementary school years. Emily Iland provides a broad understanding of the basic building blocks that contribute to the development of competency in reading. It is a wonderful balance between best practices research and concrete strategies that can be immediately applied. Drawing A Blank is long overdue as a resource for parents and professionals alike.”
–Lisa A. Lieberman, MSW, LCSW, parent of a young adult with ASD, counselor, national speaker; author of A Stranger Among Us: Hiring In-Home Support for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Neurological Differences
Additional Comments
Lisette Medina
Super orgullosa de sus logros! (Very proud of your accomplishments!) Bravo, Emily
Valerie Saraf
YOU ARE A VERY BUSY AND CREATIVE WOMAN!!!! We are lucky to have you in our community!