Elevate Your Impact

Peter Vermeulen, Ph.D.
Founder, Autism in Context

What Really Works for Children with Autism?

90 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

Understanding the specific characteristics, abilities, challenges, and needs of children with autism provides valuable insight into their behavior. Recognizing how their brains function, how they perceive and experience the world, and identifying their true needs offers a deeper understanding of the difficulties they may face. While autistic children share the same fundamental needs as other children, their unique ways of perceiving and understanding require tailored strategies to support them effectively. This exploration focuses on the ten basic needs of children with autism and introduces strategies designed to foster positive experiences at home and in the classroom. These approaches aim to help autistic children build meaningful relationships with the significant people in their lives.

10:00 AM to 10:15 AM

Break

Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D., BDBA-D
Director at the Center for Autism, Cleveland Clinic, Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University

Sleep in Young Autistic Children: What We Know and What We Can Do

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

Poorly regulated sleep patterns, including difficulties with falling asleep, mid-sleep awakenings, and early morning awakenings, affect as many as 80% of children with ASD, irrespective of cognitive functioning levels. Sleep disturbances in children with ASD exacerbate delays in social interactions, repetitive behaviors, inattention, hyperactivity, and irritability. Given the documented detrimental effects of inadequate sleep on cognition, attention, memory consolidation, and daytime behavioral adjustment, addressing sleep disturbances in young children with autism is crucial for promoting overall improvement. Behavioral interventions for sleep problems in autistic children have a long history of producing positive outcomes, as evidenced by case series and single-subject design studies. This body of research informed the development of the parent-mediated intervention program, Sleep Parent Training Program (SLePT). Grounded in behavioral analytic science, SLePT specifically targets the common sleep disturbances experienced by young autistic children. The program’s efficacy has been demonstrated through two randomized controlled trials, showing effectiveness in both in-person and telehealth delivery.

Alana McVey, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Medicine

Treating Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns for Autistic Clients: A Primer for Mental Health Clinicians

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

12:15 PM to 12:45 PM

Lunch

Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Division of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at University of North Carolina. Primary Investigator – Project AIM

What Do We Mean When We Talk About Evidence-Based Practice?

90 MINUTES | LIVE | 6.5 CEU

Early intervention providers are professionally and ethically obligated to utilize evidence-based practices. However, questions remain about the types of studies capable of providing reliable evidence to support specific practices and the extent of high-quality evidence backing commonly recommended interventions for young children on the autism spectrum. This presentation examines these issues, with a focus on the work of Dr. Sandbank, the lead investigator of Project AIM (Autism Intervention Meta-analysis), a comprehensive analysis of all controlled group studies assessing the effects of early interventions for autistic children. The presentation explores common intervention recommendations provided to families with young autistic children and evaluates the rapidly evolving evidence base to determine the robustness of these recommendations. Attendees will gain insights into the types of evidence required to support intervention approaches and intensity recommendations, the current state of the evidence base (including its evolution over the past decade), and innovative analyses conducted by Dr. Sandbank’s team, which reveal that many frequently promoted evidence-based intervention recommendations lack strong high-quality evidence.

Brooke Ingersoll, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Professor of Clinical Science at Michigan State University

Project ImPACT: A Community-Viable Parent-Mediated Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) 

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) represent a newer class of interventions that combine principles from developmental science and applied behavior analysis, aligning with neurodiversity-affirming practices. Parent-mediated NDBIs employ adult learning strategies to train parents to implement strategies that support their child’s development. This presentation provides an overview of the evidence base for this approach and focuses on a specific parent-mediated NDBI, Project ImPACT. The presentation outlines the guiding principles and core components of Project ImPACT and reviews the research conducted on this intervention, with particular attention to understanding its effectiveness, the populations it benefits, and the conditions under which it achieves optimal outcomes.

3:15 PM to 3:30 PM

Break

Russell Lehmann – Keynote
International Disability Rights Advocate, UCLA Tarjan Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

The Power of Human Connection

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 6.5 CEU

There is little that is more powerful than human connection. This presentation provides insights and perspectives on the power of this core component of humanity, conveyed with the candor, humor, and authenticity for which Russell is known. The session examines the nuances of a struggling mind and explores strategies to provide comfort and support during times of need. Attendees gain knowledge of conversational reduction techniques, effective listening tactics, impactful word choices, and appropriate physical “dos” and “don’ts.”
By fostering a sense of unity and embracing the fluid nature of life’s challenges, the presentation outlines steps toward discovering pathways to community empowerment. This approach emphasizes the potential of all individuals, with and without disabilities, to contribute and thrive.

8:15 AM to 8:30 AM

Welcome

Luke Beardon, Ed.D.
Sheffield Hallam University

Autistic Epistemology and Anxiety

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

Autism does not inherently equate to anxiety. However, a significant percentage of the autistic population experiences anxiety, often at pathological levels. This apparent paradox suggests that external factors play a role in these outcomes. This perspective aligns with the proposed “golden equation”: autism + environment = outcome. According to this framework, the challenges faced by autistic individuals are not solely due to autism itself but are influenced by environmental factors. This presentation examines this equation in detail, identifying components of the environment that contribute to autistic anxiety and exploring strategies to reduce or alleviate this anxiety. The discussion also introduces the concept of autistic epistemology, which investigates the sources of autism knowledge, identifies flaws within these sources, and highlights the potential harm caused by misinformation to autistic individuals. This presentation challenges prevailing conceptions and misconceptions of autism and advocates for significant efforts to reduce the long-term trauma associated with persistent anxiety, emphasizing the potential for meaningful improvement.

Brittany St. John, Ph.D., MPH, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Washington

Strategies for Supporting Autistic Children with Feeding Challenges (Including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and Their Families

90 MINUTES | LIVE | 6.5 CEU

Understanding the specific characteristics, abilities, challenges, and needs of children with autism provides valuable insights into their behavior. Recognizing how their brains function, how they perceive and experience the world, and identifying their true needs offers a deeper understanding of the difficulties they may face. While autistic children share the same fundamental needs as all children, their unique ways of perceiving and understanding require tailored strategies to effectively meet these needs. This discussion examines the ten basic needs of children with autism and introduces strategies designed to foster positive experiences at home and in the classroom. These approaches aim to help autistic children develop meaningful relationships with the significant people in their lives.

11:00 AM to 11:15 AM

Break

11:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Lunchtime Networking Session

12:00 PM to 12:15 PM

Break

Matt Siegel, MD, MBA
Chief of Clinical Enterprise at Boston Children’s Hospital

Profound Autism: Developing the Science to Promote Individualized Care

90 MINUTES | LIVEE | 6.5 CEU

The definitions of autism have evolved significantly over the past four decades, now encompassing a wide range of individuals. Ongoing debates within the field concern the utility and implications of identifying portions of the spectrum as distinct groups, including the recently introduced term “profound autism.” Individuals with profound autism, characterized by very high support needs, have historically received limited research attention despite experiencing elevated rates of co-occurring mental health and behavioral challenges. The absence of consensus criteria for this group hinders research progress. This discussion examines the approaches the field has taken to address complex presentations in autism, emphasizes the critical role of adaptive functioning, and considers the potential benefits and risks of focusing on this subgroup. Prioritizing the adaptive functioning of individuals with profound autism may provide greater clarity in identification and enhance the individualization of services and supports.

1:45 PM to 2:00 PM

Break

Judy Reaven, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at University of Colorado, Associate Director of JFK Partners

Facing Your Fears: A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Supporting Autistic Youth to Manage Anxiety

60 MINUTES | LIVE | 5 CEU

Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D., BDBA-D
Director at the Center for Autism, Cleveland Clinic, Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University

What Works for Whom?: Adjusting Intervention Dose and Focus to Individualize Intervention

90 MINUTES | LIVE

Research widely supports the benefits of early intervention for young autistic children, with data from various models and paradigms of intensive intervention generally demonstrating positive effects on tested developmental skills. However, while intensive intervention is strongly advocated by some, it can be burdensome or unrealistic for many families, and its developmental appropriateness has increasingly been called into question. Given the heterogeneity of autism symptoms, no single approach is likely to be effective for every child and family. This discussion examines a modular intervention framework that enables individualization and adaptation of interventions based on treatment responses. Additionally, it describes a modular, adaptive intervention developed and tested in a clinical trial, including outcome measures and processes used to tailor the intervention to individual needs.