With 25 speakers on the docket, the Autism Support and Disabilities Center is preparing for its second annual community conference today.
The conference that will bring parents of children with autism and other developmental disabilities closer to direct resources, according to Rosalinda Larkin, president of Autism Support and Disabilities Center, or ASDC.
“We have doctors and professionals coming to talk about what they think are the best practices in serving people with autism and other developmental disabilities,” Larkin said. “One of the most important things to us is to educate parents, who may not have transportation or access to these resources, and put them in proximity to people who can help.”
Dr. Ian Chun, who primarily works at the Primary Care and Wound Clinic at the North Hawaii Community Hospital, is a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and internal medicine and will be the keynote speaker of the event.
According to Larkin, Chun is one of the best doctors to offer evaluations for autism and other developmental disabilities in adolescents on Hawaii Island.
Several professionals and providers will join Chun as they share resources, advice and support for parents and caretakers of people with disabilities.
“Our goal for this second annual event is to expand the network of community partners, thereby increasing disability support on Hawaii Island,” Larkin said. “This collaboration and education will also lead to strengthened training for the state and county agencies, help the families and clients we serve in the community and expand the network of community partners to increase disability support.”
ASDC is a nonprofit that was established in 2021 with the mission of establishing a call center to directly link people with disabilities and their families to professional assistance providers.
“Unfortunately, we do not have the funding or data to establish the call center, so we’re using the time to bring resources from Oahu and all over the island to one spot, closer to clients,” Larkin said. “We have to work together for the many families that are struggling by taking the time to teach our police, hospitals and other entities how to respond to people with disabilities. Funding goes far, but education is the key.”
While ASDC has not raised the money needed to establish a call center, Larkin is planning on giving a survey to attendees to acquire more information and see what is needed on the island specifically.
In March 2023, the National Alliance for Mental Illness Hawaii asked Larkin to be an educator for Hawaii Island police participating in crisis intervention training.
She taught 21 officers in Hilo and 21 officers in Kailua-Kona how to respond to people in crisis who may have autism, or other neurodevelopmental disabilities.
The annual training is not mandatory, but is helpful for first responders to learn how to deescalate the potential for danger and harm during encounters with people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“We want to prevent people with disabilities from getting injured, assaulted or even incarcerated when they are approached by police, and I’m so thankful that HPD is receptive to (crisis intervention training),” Larkin said. “Those who have been educated now know to have compassion, empathy and knowledge when responding to crises.”
Some speakers at today’s conference include Kathy Hammes, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii, Pam Cabreira from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Robert Efford, CEO of the Arc of Hilo, Mar Ortaleza from Abled Hawaii Artists, and Sgt. William Derr from the Hawaii Island Police Department’s Community Policing Unit.
County Council members Heather Kimball and Jenn Kagiwada, and former state Sen. Laura Acasio also are set to speak.
Next on her list, Larkin hopes to talk to Hilo Medical Center about options for educating emergency room doctors and nurses about best practices for patients with developmental disabilities.
“We will continue to be consistent despite the challenges we face as volunteers, because we believe in the mission,” Larkin said. “We do need resources and more action from leadership, so we can truly improve the lives of the many people living every day with a disability.”
Larkin invites parents and caretakers to attend today’s free event, so they can learn about all the resources available to them and their dependents, ask as many questions as they need to, and receive direct contact information from professionals.
The conference will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Arc of Hilo. Those interested in attending can RSVP by calling (808) 339-8726 or emailing asdcbigisland@gmail.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.