The Autism Project Advisory Board
The Autism Project’s Advisory Board is responsible for providing community input for TAP leadership, staff, and the Board of Directors. The Advisory Board includes autistic adults, family members/caregivers/partners, and professionals. The TAP Advisory Board will consist of no more than 30 members, and will be broken down into 3 subgroups:
Autistic Adults – 10 members
Family Members/Partners – 10 members
Professionals – 10 members
Anyone who qualifies for more than one group may choose to participate in whichever group they prefer. For example, an autistic adult who is also a parent and a professional in this field may join any of the three sub-groups. Each sub-group will be facilitated by a TAP staff member.
Advisory Board members will be responsible for meeting as a sub-group 4 times a year. Each meeting will be 90 minutes in length and will take place virtually. An agenda will be provided to members in advance. Members may be invited to in-person events at The Autism Project but are not required to attend.
In addition to the 4 sub-group meetings, the entire advisory board (30 members) will meet as a group one time per year. Facilitators will participate in these groups, as will the Executive Director.
Total Number of Meetings: 5
Total Length of Each Meeting: 90 minutes
Location of Meetings: Zoom
The facilitator of each group is responsible for reporting back to TAP leadership on content discussed in each group. The input will then be reported to the Board of Directors (BOD) at the next BOD meeting. The report out will become a standing agenda item. If there is no meeting prior to the BOD meeting, there will be no report out.
Within the sub-group of autistic adults, on the second meeting, they will elect 2 representatives to serve on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors term is 3 years. Professionals and parents are currently well-represented on the board and thus do not need to elect members to serve.
The Advisory Board Has the Following duties:
- Provide ideas and insights of TAP training curriculum and content.
- Provide ideas and insights for TAP social media, website, language use and messaging.
- Provide ideas and insights for TAP programming (groups, camp, family support, training).
- Provide ideas for future goals for TAP training, media, and programming.
Service Term for Each Advisory Board Member: One year, with options to renew.
Removal from the Advisory Board: If an advisory board member has missed 3 meetings in a row and has not replied to any attempts to contact them (via phone and email), they will be removed from the advisory board.
How to Become an Advisory Board Member: Click the following link to apply- Application Form
Deadline to Apply: January 21st, 2025
Individual Group Meeting Dates:
January 28, 2025: 5:30-7:00PM EST
April 29, 2025: 5:30-7:00PM EST
July 29, 2025: 5:30-7:00PM EST
October 28, 2025: 5:30-7:00PM EST
Whole Group Meeting Date:
November 18th, 2025: 5:30-7:00PM EST
*Community Input: Advisory board members will provide insights and feedback into the programming, social media, website, language use and messaging of the organization. The insights and feedback will be relayed to TAP leadership, who will then determine what ideas can be implemented immediately, in the future, or, in some cases, not at all.
Deadline to Apply: January 21st, 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
If I am a TAP staff member, can I join the advisory board?
Yes. A TAP staff member can be an advisory board member.
If I am a TAP staff member, can I join the Board of Directors?
No. The TAP Board of Directors does not include staff members.
What if I decide that The Advisory Board is not a good fit for me after I have joined?
You can resign from the board at any time.
If I apply for The Advisory Board does that mean that I am automatically a member?
No. There are only 10 positions on the advisory board. Every application will be considered, but not everyone will be able to be on the board the first time that they apply.
How do I know that people will be respectful of my ideas if I join the Advisory Board?
During the first meeting, the facilitator will lead a discussion on psychological safety, and set up rules and boundaries agreed upon within each group. If, once those rules are established, they have been violated by a member, that member will be notified verbally and in writing. Depending on the violation, the member may receive a warning or their term on the advisory board may be terminated.
Who do I reach out to if I have questions?
You can send an email to theautismproject@brownhealth.edu. Someone form TAP will respond within 2 business days. Thank you!