Resilience, Resistance, and Making a Difference: Guidance for Living and Loving in Community through Difficult Times

These are trying times for people with disabilities, their families, and the human service agencies and providers who serve them. This presentation will focus on what unites us and gives us power to bounce back and resist by virtue of being in community with each other. We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us in the struggle for civil rights and disability rights. The time is now to make a difference for those who are counting on us for their human rights to live healthy, safe, and full lives.

Dr. Robert Naseef is a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, author, and speaker whose work has deeply impacted the autism and disability communities. As the father of an adult son with autism, he speaks not only as a clinician but as someone who truly understands the challenges—and joys—facing families from the inside out.

He is the author of acclaimed books, including Special Children, Challenged Parents and Autism in the Family: Caring and Coping Together, which have become essential reading for families and professionals alike. His TEDx talk, “How Autism Teaches Us About Being Human,” has resonated worldwide with its message of empathy, hope, and understanding.

Dr. Naseef is actively involved in numerous professional and advisory roles. He serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors for the Autism Society of America. His contributions to the Autism community have been recognized with honors, including an award from Variety, the Children’s Charity.

Robert Naseef brings warmth, clarity, and heart to his writing, speaking, and clinical work—and places special emphasis on supporting fathers and male caregivers. Dr.Naseef is known for his deep insight, warmth, and ability to connect across professional and personal boundaries. Whether addressing clinicians, educators, or parents, he invites us to rethink what it means to support and include people with autism and other disabilities—and each other.

Understanding Behavior, Building Unity

Though we all share the same nervous system, our behaviors may look different – in children, in parents, in educators, and in community members. This keynote helps participants reframe behavior as a universal stress response. We’ll explore how stress can make protective pathways like fight, flight, or freeze become the primary pathway guiding our behavior, and how these patterns show up differently across people.

Behaviors are always communicating something about a person’s internal state. When we respond with connection and support, we help bring one another back into a place where learning, problem-solving, and relationships can thrive.

This session is engaging and reflective, offering opportunities to examine our own triggers, stressors, and the behaviors we tend to show when each protective pathway becomes the dominant driver. Understanding our own patterns builds compassion not only for the children we support, but also for ourselves and one another.

Unity grows when every role, family, school, and community, works from this shared understanding.

Connie Persike, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a highly experienced Speech Language Pathologist and Educational Consultant with more than 20 years in educational settings. She holds certificates in instructional coaching, positive education, and applied educational neuroscience. Connie is the founder of Supportable Solutions, a consulting practice that partners with schools and districts nationwide to strengthen systems through neuroscience-aligned, trauma-sensitive, and neurodiversity-affirming practices. She also speaks nationally on a wide range of topics related to neuroscience, behavior, learning, and systems-level support for educators.

She is the creator of The Why Toolkit®, an innovative assessment and support plan that moves away from traditional behaviorism and aligns with current neuroscience, trauma-sensitive approaches, and neurodiversity-affirming principles.

Connie collaborated with the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) as a subject matter expert and co-author on their training program Reframing Behavior, which helps educators understand behavior through a stress-response lens.

She is also a published writer for Autism Parenting Magazine, Exceptional Needs Today, and a guest blogger for The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. In addition, Connie contributed to the multi-state collaborative work group that developed the Common Core Essential Elements for English Language Arts.

Her guiding mission is: Connection + Collaboration = Endless Possibilities.

Breakout sessions will take place Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25.  Sessions are available on a first come, first served basis during the conference. We recommend picking a backup session for each timeslot in case your first choice is full.

Welcome Reception

5:45—6:30 PM

Join us Thursday evening to kick off our 37th Statewide Annual Conference! All attendees and exhibitors are invited to join us for networking, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks in a relaxed and casual setting. Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a 15-year veteran, this is a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues, make new friends, and create valuable connections. The reception will be followed by a guided discussion session in which folks will have additional opportunities for connection in a learning environment.

Sensory Space

Hosted by The Sensory Club – Neenah

7:30 AM—4:30 PM

The conference Sensory Space, hosted by the Sensory Club – Neenah, includes a wide range of therapeutic sensory-motor equipment for conference attendees of varying ages.

Local Chapter Networking Hour

5:00—6:00 PM

Join the Wisconsin Autism Society Affiliates for an hour of family-friendly games, activities, and networking!

Family Reception

6:00—7:00 PM

Autistic children and adults, along with their families are invited to join us for pizza and dessert.

Talent Show

7:00—8:00 PM

Help us celebrate the diverse and many talents of those with autism during our annual talent show.

Interested in participating in the talent show? Due to limited space, participation is accepted on a first come, first serve basis. It is a requirement to provide a valid email upon registering, as you will be notified via email once your registration has been received.  If capacity is reached you will be contacted and placed on the waiting list.

Each talent show participant is asked to limit their talent to 3-5 minutes (maximum).

Dance

8:00—9:00 PM

This is a time to have fun and unwind! Join us for a family friendly night of music and fun. The dance will begin directly after the talent show.

Sensory Space

Hosted by The Sensory Club – Neenah

7:30 AM—12:00 PM

The conference Sensory Space, hosted by the Sensory Club – Neenah, includes a wide range of therapeutic sensory-motor equipment for conference attendees of varying ages.

Raffle Drawing

11:30 AM

Visit the raffle tables during the conference to get your tickets! All proceeds will benefit the Autism Society. Winning tickets will be drawn at 11:30 am on Saturday.

Sibshop

Hosted by WisconSibs

10:25 AM—12:45 PM

For typically-developing brothers and sisters of people with developmental disability, special health, or mental health concerns. This will be a fun morning filled with interactive activities combining recreation, learning, discussion and peer support.

Separate registration is required. This Sibshop is open primarily to children ages 8-12 who have a sibling with autism whose family is attending the conference.

Registration Deadline: March 27, 2026

The registration fee includes a light breakfast on Friday & Saturday morning. There is also a pizza buffet for families attending the conference on Friday evening. All other meals are on your own, lunches are not included. Registration fees do not include hotel accommodations.

General Registration

This rate is for individuals who are not opting into continuing education hours and do not qualify for the autistic individual or support person rate.

General Registration with CEH Add-On

This rate is for individuals who want to apply for continuing education hours.

Autistic Individual

This rate is for individuals on the Autism spectrum.

If you are registering your child with Autism for the conference, please keep in mind that the child needs to be at least 14 years of age, and accompanied by a support person, if needed.

Conference Support Person

To qualify for this rate your primary purpose for attending the conference must be to support an individual with Autism who is also registered for the conference. Please include their name on your registration form.  Only 1 support person (per Autistic individual) may register at this rate. 

Cancellation Policy

Written cancellation requests must be sent to bmaren@autismgreaterwi.org by March 27, 2026 and will be charged a $25.00 processing fee. Substitutions can be made at no cost.  No refunds after March 27, 2026 – no exceptions. A $30.00 fee will accompany any returned checks or denied charges.

Registration Transfers

If a registered attendee is unable to attend the conference their registration may be transferred to another person who is not already registered for the conference at the same institution or organization at no additional charge. Contact Brittany at 920-558-4600 or bmaren@autismgreaterwi.org to transfer your registration.

With the support of the Wispact Legacy Grant program, the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin will award 15 conference scholarships and travel stipends for Autistic adults to attend the 2026 Annual Statewide Conference.

Scholarship Details:

• Travel stipends are available in the amount of $320 per person, and may be used to cover the travel expenses of attending the conference like hotel costs, gas, and meal expenses. Those approved for a travel stipend will receive their stipend upon checking in to the conference.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled – early application is strongly encouraged. 
• Scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis for eligible applicants.
• Preference will be given to applicants living in the state of Wisconsin. Applicants living outside Wisconsin will be placed on a waiting list and will be considered for any remaining scholarships.
• Deadline to apply is Friday, February 6, 2026

Click here to apply.

Continuing Education Hours

Certificates of Attendance

A general Certificate of Attendance will be available for all conference participants. Individualized Continuing Education Certificates will be available to individuals who attend the conference and submit our continuing education feedback form with all necessary information filled out.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Kalahari Resort. Book your reservations in advance; only a limited number of rooms are blocked at the following discounted rates:

• Wednesday, 4/22 – $139
• Thursday, 4/23 – $139
• Friday, 4/24 – $179
• Saturday, 4/25 – $199

Room reservation cutoff date is March 23, 2026; all unconfirmed rooms will then be released to the general public.

Important Information from the Kalahari

Per their policy, the Kalahari does not accept completed Credit Card Letter of Authorization forms, Tax Exemption forms, nor Purchase Orders at hotel check-in. They have a dedicated team that pre-approves these forms to ensure validity prior to check-in. These forms should be submitted no later than 7 days prior to check-in via email at wireservationssupport@kalahariresorts.com or fax 608-254-6116.

The Kalahari highly suggests attendees submit these forms at least two weeks in advance of check-in so their team can process them in a timely manner. Failure to follow this procedure may result in full room and tax charges to your personal card, since their Front Desk will not accept these forms at check-in. The Kalahari General Policy Page explains their policies in full detail.

Can’t find an answer? Contact Brittany Maren at 920-558-4600 or bmaren@autismgreaterwi.org