31st Annual Conference

Autistically Thriving

Presented by Judy Endow, LCSW

Judy’s keynote will be based on her newest work Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology, which represents a shift in how autistic support is thought about and implemented. Rather than supporting deficits (as is typical in the field of autism), Judy covers who autistic people are and how they comfortably function, going over key elements of taking in, processing, storing and retrieving information along with autistic thinking style. Numerous examples are included so autistic individuals, parents, educators and therapy providers will come to understand that when autistics are honored for who they are and supported for who they want to be in this world they can truly thrive! (Note: identity-first language used intentionally as it is the preference of most autistics.)

About Judy: Judy Endow, LCSW, author and international speaker on a variety of autism-related topics, has written numerous articles and books, including award winners: Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult and Paper Words and Discovering and Living with My Autism. As a person who lived some of her early years in an institution, Endow has emerged as a leader in the autism community.

A resource specialist and a clinician at Common Threads Family Resource Center in McFarland, WI, she received the Autism Society of America’s Cathy Pratt Professional of the Year Award — the first autistic person to receive this prestigious national award. Endow has served on the boards of both the Autism Society of America, Wisconsin Chapter and the Autism National Committee, was featured in the New York Times’ Patient Voices, and was honored by The Art of Autism as one of the most influential bloggers on the web. Endow has made over 400 presentations all over the world.

What do you see? Lessons We Learn Through Universal Design for Learning

Presented by Loui Lord Nelson, PhD

When you envision instruction, what does it look like? How does that instruction shift when you think specifically about autism? Why? Using stories from the field, research, and her own experiences, along with guided discussions, Dr. Nelson will share how the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework encourages us to view teaching and learning through the lens of neurodiversity and how that impacts design and possibility.

About Dr. Nelson: Dr. Nelson is an internationally recognized leader in UDL implementation. A former special education teacher,she held the first known UDL Coordinator position for a school district, has taught online courses about UDL,completed her UDL post-doctoral fellowship at CAST (the creators of UDL), is a member of the CAST Cadre,and is part of the UDL-Implementation and Research Network (IRN) leadership council. She has worked with educators across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Her publications include: Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning; The Role of Technology in Implementing Universal Design for Learning; Culturally Responsive Design for English Learners: The UDL Approach; and A Tree for All: Your Coloring Book of UDL Principles and Practice. She also hosts the popular podcast, UDL in 15 Minutes, accessed in more than 44 countries.

Self-Regulation: 25 Years of Trying New Pieces of String

Presented by Kari Dunn Buron, PhD

Over the past 25 years, our response to challenging behaviors in the school environment has evolved to include the recognition of what it means to be able to self-regulate one’s own emotions; to regulate one’s responses to the sensory environment; and to navigate one’s way through difficult social situations. We have moved from a culture of control to one of self-empowerment. From a culture of “normalizing” to one that appreciates neurodiversity. Learn about the quest to understand the nature of self-regulation, research to support this change in school culture, and ideas to make it happen.

About Kari Dunn Buron: Dunn Buron taught in the K-12 MN public school system with students on the autism spectrum for more than 30 years, is a past president of AuSM, was a founding member of the Minnesota Autism Project, and developed an ASD Certificate program for educators at Hamline University. In 2003, Dunn Buron received a self-designed fellowship that allowed her to spend a year interviewing and working internationally with a number of scientists and researchers in the areas of neuroscience, social cognition, education, and autism with a focus on challenging behaviors. Dunn Buron is the co-author of The Incredible 5-Point Scale (Revised Edition) and Social Behavior and Self-Management. She is the author of When My Worries Get Too Big (Revised Edition); A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control; and A 5 is Against the Law!. She is the co-editor of a textbook, Learners on the Autism Spectrum: Preparing Highly Qualified Educators, and a curriculum for teachers called Social Times Curriculum. She currently is re-launching her early chapter book, Adalyn’s Clare.

Assembly Required

Presented by Haley Moss

Autism does not come with an instruction manual, but it does come with lots of magical parts and important tools to utilize to build the best life possible. Assembly Required is the story of Haley Moss: an autistic attorney who has gone from a nonverbal child diagnosed with autism at age 3, to an author, artist, attorney, and autism advocate. This keynote explores Haley’s journey, the assembly of her village, finding her written and spoken voice, looking to the future full of hope, inspiration, and excitement as she writes the next, ongoing chapter in her life as a practicing lawyer. This keynote also explores neurodiversity, acceptance, and explores the perspectives of how society views autism and related disabilities.

About Haley: Haley Moss was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and is an associate attorney at Zumpano Patricios in Coral Gables, Florida. Prior to going viral for becoming the first openly autistic attorney admitted to The Florida Bar, she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2018, and graduated from the University of Florida in 2015 with Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Criminology.

She is a renowned visual pop artist and the author of “Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About” and “A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About.” She also illustrated and contributed to the anthology “What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew.” Her writing has been featured in publications such as HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Bustle, Elite Daily, and The Mighty. Haley also co-hosts the Spectrumly Speaking podcast, which is dedicated to women on the autism spectrum.

Haley currently serves on the constituency board for the University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and the Board of Directors for Different Brains. She previously served on the board of Unicorn Village Academy.