The Autism Society Inland Empire received a grant from the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) in 2019 to establish a Community of Practice for groups and non-profit organizations who serve individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).  This group was named Colaboración, Liderazgo, Abogacía, Servicio y Educación (CLASE) Community of Practice which means Collaboration, Leadership, Advocacy, Service and Education. In 2019, there were leaders from nineteen organizations which served the Latino/Spanish speaking I/DD population were invited to join.

This Community of Practice is an Informal, self-organized, network of peers with diverse skills and experience in an area of practice or profession, in this case, leaders who serve the Hispanic ID/DD Inland Empire Community. Community of Practices are held together by the members’ desire to help others (by sharing information) and the need to advance their own knowledge (by learning from others).

Our goal is to allow leaders with a shared vision to develop and exchange resources, knowledge and experiences so all groups can be even more impactful in their efforts in improving the lives of the families they serve.