March 13 – 14, 2025 Elevate Your Impact EYI 2025PROGRAMSpeakersPast ConferencesShare The NewsFAQ REGISTER NOW Speakers Keynote Speaker Russell Lehmann International Disability Rights Advocate, UCLA Tarjan Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Russell Lehmann is an award-winning and internationally recognized motivational speaker, poet, author, and activist who is the International Disability Rights Advocate at UCLA’s Tarjan Center for Disabilities. Perhaps known best for his raw transparency and candid authenticity, Russell harbors an uncanny ability to gain significant wisdom and insight from the most painful aspects of his life. He co-facilitates the groundbreaking neurodiversity course under UCLA’s new disability major, has delivered TEDx Talks, is a contributor for Psychology Today, and has a significant following on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. Russell also serves on numerous national boards, taskforces, and councils. His influence extends beyond borders, having spoken at many events, conferences, and educational institutions, and his impactful speeches and poetry have inspired and educated many about the nuances of autism and mental health, while also contextualizing the intersection of disability and society. Keynote Speaker Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Division of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at University of North Carolina. Primary Investigator – Project AIM Micheal Sandbank is an internationally renowned expert on early interventions for children on the autism spectrum. She received her Ph.D. in early childhood special education from Vanderbilt University. She is the lead researcher on Project AIM, a comprehensive and ongoing meta-analysis of all non-pharmacological interventions designed for young autistic children, which was selected as one of the Top Advances in Autism Research in 2020 by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her work has been published in prestigious journals such as the British Medical Journal, JAMA Pediatrics and Psychological Bulletin. Keynote Speaker Matt Siegel, MD, MBA Chief of Clinical Enterprise at Boston Children’s Hospital Matthew Siegel, MD, MBA, is a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine, Chief of Clinical Enterprise for Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Chief Behavior Health Officer for Franciscan Children’s Hospital. He attended Amherst College, Stanford Medical School and trained at Brown University in child psychiatry, psychiatry and pediatrics. Dr. Siegel built an internationally recognized continuum of care, teaching and research to address the behavioral health of youth with autism and other developmental disabilities in Maine. He founded and is the principal investigator of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Inpatient Research Collaborative (ADDIRC) and founded the first learning health network of hospital psychiatric units serving youth with developmental disabilities in the United States. His research and clinical work focuses on better understanding the phenotypic profiles and clinical needs of youth with profound autism, intense behavior and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He led the creation of the Autism Inpatient Collection, a data resource of more than 1,500 deeply phenotyped and genetically sequenced participants, heavily weighted to those with profound autism and intense behavior– available to investigators worldwide through SFARIBase. Dr. Siegel is a federally appointed member of the National Institutes of Health Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and a lead author of the practice guidelines of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for assessment and treatment of youth with autism, and youth with intellectual disability. Plenary Speaker Peter Vermeulen, Ph.D. Founder, Autism in Context Peter Vermeulen, Ph.D., has more than 35 years of experience in the field of autism. He is an internationally respected lecturer/trainer, working for Strongmakers in Autism (in Belgium) and Autism in Context. Peter wrote more than 20 books on autism, some translated into 10 languages or more. For his career contribution to the autism community in Belgium, he received in 2019 a Lifetime Achievement Award. Peter also presented at every Autism Europe conference over the last 30 years. He was a guest on the “What’s Up With Catalight!” podcast and previous EYI speaker who is back by popular demand. Cynthia Anderson, Ph.D., BCBA-D Chief Clinical Officer, Avela Health Cynthia M. Anderson is the Chief Clinical Officer at Avela Health. She earned her Ph.D. in clinical child psychology from West Virginia University in 1990 and since focused her career on enhancing outcomes for children and families. Dr. Anderson’s research has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense—advancing the understanding of interventions that promote meaningful outcomes for neurodivergent individuals. Dr. Anderson has served as an associate editor for several journals and as the applied representative on the ABAI Executive Council. She is committed to translating research into practice, most recently at Avela Health working closely with families to implement neurodiversity-affirming, individualized approaches to enhance outcomes for children and families. Luke Beardon, Ed.D. Sheffield Hallam University Luke Beardon is a renowned expert in autism with extensive experience as a practitioner, researcher, trainer and educator. He has held leadership roles with the National Autistic Society (NAS), where he developed services for autistic individuals with diverse needs and co-authored the ASPECT consultancy report, the largest UK consultation with autistic adults at the time. Currently a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, Dr. Beardon leads the postgraduate certificate in autism program and supervises doctoral students, many of whom are autistic. He has authored 12 influential books on autism, contributed to numerous academic publications and delivered talks at prestigious forums, including the United Nations. Dr. Beardon’s groundbreaking work has earned him multiple awards, such as the NAS Autism Professionals Award and several Inspirational teacher and research supervisor accolades. His dedication to advancing understanding and support for autistic individuals continues to shape the field globally. Eric Butter Chief of the Division of Psychology in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Chief of the Section of Psychology at Nationwide Children’s and Director of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Child Development Center Eric M. Butter, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. A founding faculty member of Nationwide Children’s Child Development Center, he helped establish an interdisciplinary program that spans psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, speech and language therapy, and genetics counseling. Dr. Butter earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Child Clinical and Community Psychology, followed by a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Disabilities in Columbus. In collaboration with The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, he conducted clinical research on neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism. Throughout his career, Dr. Butter has served as Principal Investigator on several medical network grants and federally funded research studies, advancing the field’s understanding of pediatric neurodevelopmental care. Brooke Ingersoll, Ph.D., BCBA-D Professor of Clinical Science at Michigan State University Ingersoll is a professor of clinical science and the director of the MSU Autism Research Lab. She received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology at UC San Diego and completed a clinical post-doc in child psychology at Oregon Health and Science University. She is a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst. Dr. Ingersoll’s research focuses on the development of community-viable interventions for autistic children and their families. A major emphasis of her current work is on NDBI-based parent-mediated interventions. Dr. Ingersoll has published more than 100 articles and book chapters on autism. Additionally, she’s the co-developer of Project ImPACT, an internationally recognized parent coaching curriculum for autistic children. Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D., BDBA-D Director at the Center for Autism, Cleveland Clinic, Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University Cynthia Rheney Johnson, Ph.D., Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and a Professor of Pediatrics, Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. In addition to providing clinical care / program development, Dr. Johnson has been the principal investigator of numerous National Institutes of Health-funded and other federally funded grants test the efficacy of parent training for treatment of disruptive behaviors, sleep disturbances and feeding problems in autistic children. She is a licensed psychologist and BCBA-D. Alana McVey, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Medicine Alana McVey (she/her) earned her BS in psychology from Loyola University Chicago and her MS and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Marquette University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of California Los Angeles and conducted postdoctoral research at both the University of British Columbia and the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Autism Center. As a licensed psychologist in Wisconsin, Dr. McVey spent the last dozen years working in autism research with a focus on the presentation and treatment of co-occurring mental health concerns. Her recent research focuses on using implementation science methods to adapt Dialectical Behavior Therapy for autistic clients. Her work won the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Student Research Award in 2022 and Dr. McVey has since been invited to speak nationally and internationally about it. Dr. McVey offers individual therapy and provides consultation and training in evidence-based adaptations. Her approach to clinical work is compassionate, wholehearted and grounded in evidence-based practice. She is attentive to and deeply values each person’s lived experience. Judy Reaven, Ph.D. Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at University of Colorado, Associate Director of JFK Partners Judy Reaven, Ph.D., is a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, at JFK Partners, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and is a licensed clinical psychologist. Her clinical and research interests include identifying and managing anxiety in autism with a focus on the implementation of evidence-based interventions in schools. She is the primary developer of “Facing Your Fears”, a group cognitive behavior therapy for autistic children and teens with anxiety, and has been principal investigator on private foundation and federal grants (NIMH, HRSA, PCORI). She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. Brittany St. John, Ph.D., MPH, OTR/L Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Washington Britt St. John, Ph.D., is an occupational therapist and is currently an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Washington. Her current research is focused on understanding and addressing selective eating in autistic children. Dr. St. John is part of the research team behind the Engaged Eaters Program, a family-mediated feeding intervention approach for autistic kids aged 2 to 7. She also recently published an autism-specific feeding assessment tool to support clinicians in evaluating and treatment planning for autistic children. Peter Zentel Professor at Ludwig Maximilians University Munich Professor Dr. Peter Zentel holds the Chair for Intellectual Disabilities at LMU Munich. With a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Tübingen, his focus is on education and participation for people with cognitive and complex disabilities. His research includes inclusive education, digital assistive technologies, and AI-based solutions. He has led numerous EU-funded projects, contributed to educational policies, and published extensively on intellectual disabilities and inclusion. Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D Vice President of Clinical Excellence at Catalight Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Vice President of Clinical Excellence at Catalight, providing clinical leadership and oversight to advance innovative, person-centered care models. A licensed clinical psychologist and doctoral-level behavior analyst, Dr. Sneed has 15+ years of experience supporting individuals with autism and I/DDs through applied behavior analysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and parent-mediated interventions. In her applied research, she focuses on evaluating new models of care, parental stress, self-efficacy, and autism acceptance. Dr. Sneed holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, an M.S. in Educational Counseling, and an M.S. in Applied Psychology. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco, California. As host of the podcast What’s Up With Catalight!, Dr. Sneed spotlights cutting-edge treatments, research breakthroughs, and the inspiring stories of families and caregivers in the autism and I/DD community.
