About
THOMAS ILAND, B.S., CHPC, AS
Hear My Story of Going from Accountant to Advocate!
I was diagnosed with autism at age 13, and have worked hard to achieve my goals: full-time employment, driving, living in my own condominium, having a girlfriend, getting a Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in Accountancy from California State University-Northridge and becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)!
Since leaving my accounting career in 2015, I have written a book titled Come to Life! Your Guide to Self-Discovery, sharing my secrets to success along with practical suggestions based on experience to help parents, educators and people with autism and other learning differences shape their futures as they prepare for transition to adulthood. I now do public speaking, having become a Toastmasters International Accredited Speaker (AS), and personal coaching, having earned the Certified Human Potential Coach (CHPC) designation, offering unique insights with heart and humor in my engaging presentations…including my TEDx Talk, “How To Come To Life!”
I have presented for: The United Nations, The U.S. Army, the Alamo Area Council of Governments, NBCUniversal, Sony Studios, Netflix, Loyola-Marymount University, California State University-Northridge, The University of Redlands, Gavilan College, College of the Canyons, and more!
I also serve a number of not-for-profit organizations including The Autism Society of Los Angeles, The Ed Asner Family Center and The Uniquely Abled Project!
