This year’s Autism Across the Life Span conference aims to address the needs of families, professionals and educators interested in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The conference is hosted by the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training, part of the Life Span Institute. It’s set for Friday, April 8 at the Business Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Building at the KU Edwards Campus, 12604 Quivira Road in Overland Park, according to a news release from KU.
Registration is $95 for professionals, $50 for families and self-advocates — though scholarships are available — and $40 for students.
The conference will include research presentations from “nationally recognized scientists, including KU faculty.” But the event is not just for researchers — it will also include practical guidance for people who work with and care for people with ASD.
“This annual meeting is unique because it aims to bring together everyone that is part of the autism community, including autistic individuals, their families, educators, providers and researchers,” Matt Mosconi, center director and KU professor of clinical child psychology, said in the release.
For the first time in two years, the conference is in person, which Mosconi said is a “vital piece” of the conference.
“We are very excited to be able to safely host this meeting in person again this year,” Mosconi said in the news release. “There is a lot of progress that has been made in different areas of research as well as in education and clinical care programs. There is something for everyone at this event.”
The conference will feature several breakout sessions on autism programs and research related to behavioral health, interventions, neuroscience and the transition to adulthood.
Here’s a look at some of the event’s features, according to the Life Span Institute:
- This year’s keynote speaker, joining the conference virtually, is Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, a professor of developmental neuropsychiatry at Columbia University. Veenstra-VanderWeele is also an award-winning child and adolescent psychiatrist in pursuit of new treatments for ASD and pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder. His molecular neuroscience laboratory at Columbia University and the NYSPI “focuses on genetic mouse models with abnormal social or repetitive behavior.”
- A self-advocate panel from the Kansas City League of Autistics, moderated by Spencer Hunley.
- “Parenting in Perspective” by Mary Ann Hammond, community education coordinator at Children’s Mercy, is a breakout session that will discuss how to care for yourself while caring for your family.
- During the breakout session “It’s All About Who You Know: Creating an Effective Social Support Network” from the KU Center on Developmental Disabilities, presenters will discuss the benefits of a social support network and how to build one for yourself.
- The Center on Developmental Disabilities will also present “Self-Determination for Youth and Young Adults with Autism: Emerging Directions in Research and Practice.” Researchers will share findings from current projects that examine the impact of self-determination intervention, as well as information about new projects focused on enhancing self-determination for people with autism.
- “Psychotropic Medication Management for Individuals on the Spectrum” by Ann Genovese, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the KU Medical Center, will “review the evidence for prescribing psychotropic medications for persons with autism.”
- Sean Smith, Amber Rowland and Maggie Mosher from the KU Department of Special Education will present “Personalizing Social Skill Development through Virtual Reality: An Interactive Program for Students and Educators.” The presentation features an interactive, virtual reality app that seeks to help students with disabilities learn and acquire social skills “while also supporting classroom practice and generalization of these learned social skills.”
- Jay Buzhardt, Dwight Irvin and Anna Wallish of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project will present “Adapting the Early Communication Indicator to Measure Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers with Autism.” They will describe how they are adapting the Early Communication Indicator — a six-minute play-based assessment for young children designed to monitor children’s growth in expressive communication over time — for use with children with autism.
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Emma Bascom (she/her) reported for The Lawrence Times from December 2021 through May 2022. Read more of her work for the Times here.
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