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International Autism Symposium
(April 2026 | Free Online Event | Live Interpretation)
Autism Across the Lifespan: Research, Practice and Neurodiversity
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Current research and scientifically grounded intervention approaches in the field of autism
Global knowledge and experience sharing with contributions from experts in different countries
Contributions from the fields of education, psychology, health sciences and social sciences
Current approaches in the field of autism from early childhood to adulthood
Attwood and Garnett Events
Australia
Tony is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in autism spectrum disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He is currently a co-founder and director of Attwood and Garnett Events. His book Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals has sold over 450,000 copies and has been translated into over 25 languages. His subsequent book, The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, is one of the primary textbooks on Asperger’s syndrome. He has been a contributor and author of over 30 peer review research papers on Autism Spectrum Disorders. He has been a clinical psychologist for nearly 10,000 autistic children and adults some of whom have been seen for over 20 years.
Vice President, Caregiver-Mediated Solutions
Catalight
USA
Karen Bearss, PhD is Vice President of Caregiver-Mediated Solutions at Catalight, Inc, a nonprofit behavioral health network that provides targeted clinical care to autistic youth and their families. Dr. Bearss is also an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. She previously served as Clinical Director of the Seattle Children’s Autism Center where she also directed the RUBI Clinic. Dr. Bearss earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida. She is a leading expert in the development, testing, and implementation of caregiver-mediated interventions for autistic youth with co-occurring challenging behaviors. Dr. Bearss is the first author of the RUBI Parent Training Manual, now available as part of the Programs that Work series at Oxford University Press.
MS CCC-SLP, DSLSI, President Project Impact Education, LLLC, Member
Project ImPACT Education, LLC and Dvortcsak Speech and Language Services, Inc
USA
Anna Dvortcsak co-developed and authored Teaching Social Communication to Children with Autism (Project ImPACT), an internationally-recognized parent training curriculum for children with ASD. She is a speech pathologist in private practice in Portland and provides consulting, parent training and individual speech and language services to families and children with autism. Anna’s areas of focus are with program development and improving access to services to help all children be able to communicate and advocate for themselves within their home and community environment.
Distinguished Professor
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
USA
Connie Kasari, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Distinguished Professor of Human Development & Psychology in the School of Education with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has been on the faculty at UCLA since 1990 where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses. She has been the primary advisor to more than 90+ PhD students. She is a founding member of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at UCLA. Her research aims to development novel, evidence-tested interventions implemented in community settings. Recent projects include targeted treatments for early social communication development in infants, toddlers and preschoolers with autism, and peer relationships for school aged children with autism. She has led several large multi-site studies including a network on interventions for minimally verbal school aged autistic children, and a network that aims to increase equity in access to interventions for autistic children who are under-represented in research trials. She is the current past-president of the International Society of Autism Research.
Associate Professor
UCLA
USA
Jill Locke is an Associate Professor in Residence at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the School of Education and Information Studies and a parent of an autistic child. To date, her research has focused on the: 1) presentation of social functioning for autistic youth in inclusive school settings; 2) identification of best practices for autistic youth; and 3) understanding of successful implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic youth in public school settings. She has expertise in implementation science, human-centered design, and working in collaboration with publicly funded school systems. Most recently, her research has focused on the identification and examination of malleable individual and organizational characteristics that increase teachers’ and paraeducators’ use of evidence-based practices to include and retain autistic children in general education settings and developing and testing implementation strategies to support evidence-based practice use in the K-12 system. Her experiences have highlighted the importance of collaborating with public schools and the reality of working within the constraints of publicly funded systems, their timeline (e.g., school calendar year), and with their personnel.
Executive Director / Founder
ED – Calumet College / Founder – Crosstown™️
USA
Dr. Danny L. McGuire Jr. is the Executive Director of the Public Service Institute at Calumet College of St. Joseph, where he leads undergraduate and graduate programs in public service leadership and administration. He is also the Founder of Crosstown™, a human performance and resilience organization built on the principles of practical leadership, psychological durability, and high-stakes decision-making. In addition, he serves as Director of First Responder Wellness for Jacquelyn Augustine and Associates, supporting law enforcement, fire service, and emergency personnel in performance optimization and mental health resilience. Dr. McGuire’s professional background includes extensive experience in crisis leadership, hostage negotiation, undercover narcotics investigations, and high-pressure decision-making environments. His work integrates applied leadership science, trauma-informed practice, and performance psychology. He is a featured contributor to Autism Parenting Magazine, where he provides guidance and practical frameworks for families navigating autism. Most importantly, Dr. McGuire is the father of a 25-year-old son who will turn 26 this year. His son was diagnosed with autism the day before his second birthday and lives with Level 3 autism and limited functioning. Over more than two decades, Dr. McGuire and his family have navigated the profound challenges associated with significant support needs, building systems of advocacy, structure, and resilience that inform both his professional and personal mission. His presentations combine evidence-based insight, field-tested leadership strategies, and lived parental experience to equip families with practical tools for long-term stability, advocacy, and hope. Dr. McGuire holds a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Management from Calumet College of St. Joseph; a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Adler School of Professional Psychology; a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University; a Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition from University of Georgia; and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with an emphasis in Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University. He brings thousands of hours of experience as a mental health therapist, combined with executive coaching in leadership performance and crisis management. He is the author of HARD RESET: Reliability Under Pressure – Practical Systems for Human Performance and Resilience, scheduled for release in late summer 2026.
Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education
Adelphi University of New York
USA
Diagnosed with “Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies” and “too sick” for outpatient treatment Dr. Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonspeaking until 4, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a full time professor at Adelphi University and adjunct at several other universities, focusing on aligning best practice in supporting autistic people to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen is an internationally renowned educator, consultant and author on lifespan issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, and self-advocacy. His most recent book College for Students with Disabilities combines personal stories and research for promoting success in higher education.
A current board member of Autism Speaks, the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), The Boston Higashi School, president emeritus of the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, and advisory board member of the Autism Society, Dr. Shore also serves on the boards of numerous other autism related organizations.
Dr. Stephen Shore combines personal, practical, and academic experiences to promote fulfilling and productive lives for autistic and otherwise neurodivergent individuals as the rule rather than the exception.
Director
Vanderbilt University Frist Center for Autism & Innovation
USA
Stassun holds the Stevenson chair in Astrophysics, and holds secondary appointments in Computer Science and in Management, at Vanderbilt University, where he has received an NSF CAREER award, a Cottrell Scholar award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, an HHMI Professor award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences. Stassun is a member of the leadership team for NASA’s Ultraviolet Explorer (UVEX) and Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) space telescope missions, served as a co-investigator for NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, chairs the executive committee of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, serves on the National Academy of Sciences Space Studies Board and Divisional Committee for Engineering & Physical Sciences, and recently served on the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Steering Committee for Astronomy & Astrophysics. An elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Astronomical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, and an elected Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, his research on stars and exoplanets has appeared in more than 600 peer-reviewed journal articles, with an emphasis on understanding the fundamental physical properties of stars and extrasolar planets. From 2004 to 2016, he served as founding director of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program, which has become one of the nation’s top producers of PhDs to underrepresented groups in the physical sciences. Having trained more than fifty PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds, Stassun is a leader and advocate and exemplar for training the next generation of American talent in STEM fields. He has served on NSF’s Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal for Outreach, has been named Mentor of the Year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been honored with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Since 2017, Stassun serves as founding director of the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation in Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering, focused on advancing science and engineering through the engagement and workforce development of autistic individuals and those with other forms of neurodiversity, and has awarded more PhDs to autistic scientists and engineers than any other program. In 2023, Stassun was appointed to a six-year term on the National Science Board, in 2024 was named a MacArthur Fellow, and in 2025 received the National Medal of Science.
Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
USA
Dr. Leah Stein Duker is an occupational therapist and Assistant Professor in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on the broad-ranging effects of environmental factors on stress, well-being, and participation during challenging healthcare encounters and the efficacy of tailored environmentally-based interventions to alleviate these challenges. For the last 15 years, her work has explored the oral health challenges experienced by children with disabilities and their caregivers, as well as the benefits of adapting the environment to improve dental care for these populations (e.g., children with autism spectrum disorder). Dr. Stein Duker is currently funded by a NIH/NIDCR UG3/UH3 grant to explore the efficacy of adapting the sensory environment of the dental office to decrease behavioral and physiological distress in children with and without dental fear and anxiety. Her research interests include autism, sensory processing, Multisensory Environments, and both traditional wired and innovative wireless techniques for measuring psychophysiological stress and anxiety. Her work has examined care in a variety of settings, including dentistry, primary care, oncology, emergency medicine, and mHealth. She has been a recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s A. Jean Ayres Award and Virginia Scardina Award, both of which honor commitment to research in sensory processing.
Senior Research Fellow
King’s College London
UK
Dr Gavin R. Stewart is a senior postdoctoral research fellow at King’s College London, UK. He is an expert in autism and ageing, and his research takes a multifaceted approach to explore the life experiences of autistic people across adulthood and as they age.
Founder and CEO
Autism in Context
Belgium
Dr. Peter Vermeulen, PhD in Psychology and Clinical Educational Sciences, has almost 40 years of experience in the field of autism. Founder of “Autism in Context”, where autism is understood in context. Peter is an internationally respected lecturer/trainer and he presents all over the world. Peter wrote more than 25 books and several articles on autism, translated into more than 10 languages He received in 2019 the Passwerk Life Time Achievement Award for his contribution to the autism community in Belgium.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Alberta
Canada
Lonnie is a developmental pediatrician at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, where he directs the Autism Research Centre, supported by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Autism. He is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Associate Director and lead for Child Health Research for the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on improving early detection, timely diagnosis and health care related to autism. Lonnie has also supported translating research to practice and supporting evidence-based policy in Canada. He chaired the Canadian Pediatric Society Task Force that issued practice statements on autism diagnosis and ongoing pediatric care in 2019, and the oversight panel of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Autism Assessment.
USA
Talk Title
Advancing Science and Technology for Individuals with Autism: Toward Independence and Meaningful Employment
Talk Time
11:00 (USA CDT, UTC-5)
USA
Talk Title
Evidence that Matters: Meaningful Supports for Non-Speaking Autistic Children
Talk Time
09:00 (USA PDT, UTC-7)
USA
Talk Title
Parent-Mediated Interventions for Autistic Youth to Address Co-Occurring Challenging Behaviors
Talk Time
09:00 (USA PDT, UTC-7)
USA
Talk Title
Overview of Project ImPACT: Improving Parents as Communication Teachers.
Talk Time
09:30 (USA PDT, UTC-7)
UK
Talk Title
Autism in Midlife and Older Age – What Happens to Autistic People When They Grow Old?
Talk Time
16:00 UK (BST, UTC+1)
USA
Talk Title
4 A’s Of Autism: Awareness, Acceptance, Appreciation and Action as a Pathway to Fulfilling and Productive Lives
Talk Time
08:00 (USA EDT, UTC-4)
USA
Talk Title
Sensory-Informed Healthcare for Autistic Individuals: Transforming Dental Care Access and Experience
Talk Time
10:00 (USA PDT, UTC-7)
USA
Talk Title
Caregiver Self-Care Under Pressure: Mental, Physical, and Emotional Wellness for Parents of Children with Autism)
Talk Time
11:00 (USA CDT, UTC-5)
Belgium
Talk Title
From Neurodiversity to Neuroharmony: Happiness İn Autism
Talk Time
10:00 (Belgium CEST, UTC+2)
Australia
Talk Title
Autism and Mental Health: Exploring Anxiety, Depression and Stress Management across the Lifespan
Talk Time
17:00 (Brisbane, UTC+10)
USA
Talk Title
Implementation of Remaking Recess, a School-Based Social Engagement Intervention for Autistic Elementary-Aged Youth
Talk Time
09:00 (USA PDT, UTC-7)
Canada
Talk Title
Talk Time
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