New to Autism: Next Steps to Support Families with a New Diagnosis
An educational workshop offered in person by the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin
Green Bay Botanical Garden-Green Bay, WI | November 7, 2025 | 9AM – 4:30PM
About the Workshop
Join us for a day of learning, resource building, and connection at the Green Bay Botanical Garden! We are hosting a one day workshop for those supporting someone new to an Autism diagnosis, whether that be a teacher, a caregiver, a service provider, or friend. Engage with speakers in a series of four sessions during which attendees will learn how to be an advocate, build a foundational understanding of Autism as a type of neurodiversity, hear about resources, and gain tools for supporting Autistic loved ones.
Green Bay Botanical Garden spans 47 acres full of natural Wisconsin scenes and features more than 120,000 breathtaking plants and flowers. The Garden connects people with plants by providing year-round educational and recreational experiences for everyone in an environment that engages, inspires, and refreshes.
Audience:
This workshop is ideal for caregivers, adult family members, educators, professionals who work with Autistic individuals, support staff, and friends.
Presenters:
Allie Tasche is an advocate and national leader in disability inclusion and social justice. With more than 17 years of experience across special education, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement, she specializes in systems change and coaching for equity, inclusion, and belonging. Allie holds a master’s degree in leadership and organizational development and has served in roles spanning local, state, and national impact—including as Vice President of National Programs at the Autism Society of America and as a former board member of the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin.
Currently, Allie serves as Director of Operations at Above & Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan, WI, where she advances inclusive play for children and families. She is also an elected member of the Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education and works as an inclusion consultant, helping organizations reimagine their spaces, practices, and programs to foster belonging for all.
Annie Hinker, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist based in the Madison area. She currently serves at Group Health Cooperative of South-Central Wisconsin within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services Department, where she aided in launching speech and occupational therapy services. Annie’s background also includes specialized experience at an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) clinic as well as in a secondary school setting. She is deeply committed to the principle that communication is a fundamental human right, and she is passionate about advocating for and empowering Autistic individuals and their families.
Carly Ott is a Senior Business Architect for a Fortune Top 50 company with over 15 years of process improvement experience. Carly is a member of all employee resource groups (ERGs) at the company, and volunteers as a Co-Chair for both the Disability ERG’s Virtual Chapter and global Neurodiversity program management. Her non-profit roles include the Autism Society of America (ASA) Board of Directors and member of their Council of Autistic Advisors, which she also chaired for six years. She also previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Autism Society of Ventura County for six years and has served as a member of the Boards of Directors for The Art of Autism and Specialisterne USA. She has discussed her experiences as an autistic woman and autistic mother on platforms such as the podcast Uniquely Human and in published articles as a former journalist.
Danielle Tolzmann is the Executive Director for Family Voices of Wisconsin (FVW). She is the parent of a young adult with special health care needs including intellectual disability (ID), developmental disability (DD), seizure disorder, and chromosome deletion. Danielle is grandmother to a teen and toddlers with special health care needs. She graduated with honors and multiple accomplishment awards from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Community and Nonprofit Leadership (BA), with certificates in Disability Rights and Services and Public Policy (2022). She also earned an Associate degree with Business emphasis from University of Wisconsin – Platteville (2020), and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from Duke (2012).
Having served as past president of the Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin, she continues to serve the community as a member of the steering team for the state Community of Practice on Autism Spectrum Disorders and other Developmental Disabilities (CoP – ASD / DD), and as the children’s issue team co-lead for the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations.
Itinerary:
9am: Check-in and Welcome
10am: Allie Tasche “Autism 101: Foundations of Autism”
11am: Break
11:30am: Danielle Tolzmann “Get Started: Navigating Systems of Support”
12:30pm: Lunch
1:30pm: Carly Ott “Everything I Wish My Parents Knew: Parenting an Autistic kid from the perspective of an Autistic parent”
2:30pm: Break
3pm: Annie Hinker “More Than Words: Supporting Communication for Autistic Children”
4pm: Wrap up & Thank You
4:30pm: Enjoy the Garden!
Registration
Registration Fee
The registration fee includes access to all speaker sessions, access to the Garden for the day, refreshments, and lunch for one person.
Member Rate: $100 | Non-Member Rate: $125
Waiver Funding
Families enrolled in Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) Waiver, Children’s Community Options Program (CCOP), IRIS or Family Care may be able to use these funds to pay for conference registration fees. Please have your service coordinator fill out the Third Party Payer Form to register with waiver funding.
Access Email
Upon registering for the workshop you will receive a confirmation email. If you have registered but have not yet received your confirmation email, please contact Brittany at bmaren@autismgreaterwi.org.
Cancellation Policy
We are unable to accept cancellation or refund requests for this event.
Lodging:
Lodging will not be provided for this event. Should you wish to find overnight accommodations nearby, you may reference the following options.
Comfort Suites Green Bay West
https://www.choicehotels.com/wisconsin/green-bay/
AmericInn by Wyndham Green Bay West
https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/americinn/green-bay-wisconsin/
Bay Motel
https://www.baymotelgreenbay.com/