1. **State the problem:** Find the area of parallelogram ABCD given the base and height. 2. **Formula:** The area $A$ of a parallelogram is given by: $$A = \text{base} \times \text{height}$$ 3. **Identify base and height:** From the problem, the base $AB = 36$ inches and the height (perpendicular from $D$ to $AB$) is $8.8$ inches. 4. **Calculate the area:** $$A = 36 \times 8.8$$ 5. **Multiply:** $$A = 316.8$$ 6. **Round the answer:** The area rounded to the nearest tenth is $316.8$ square inches. **Final answer:** $$\boxed{316.8 \text{ inches}^2}$$