MADISON — Autistic adults often face challenges similar to others on the autism spectrum, with three of the most important usually being: finding employment, maintaining friendships and difficulties with executive functioning. The third annual INTEGRAL Adult Autism Conference, hosted by the Autism Society of South-Central Wisconsin, will offer helpful insights on these issues on Saturday, Nov. 6 at its virtual conference.
The virtual conference will feature speakers from across the United States:
● Hari Srinivasan, nationally known, minimally-speaking autistic student at UC Berkeley, speaking on “Disability as Possibility.”
● Madeline Barger, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Certified Sex Therapist of Madison, speaking on “Exploring Friendship and a Call for Non-Autistic Self Education.”
● Hunter Hanson, an autistic content creator and business analyst with business interviewing experience of Denver, Colorado, presenting “Tell Me About Yourself: Autistic Secrets to Job Interview Success.”
● Doug Blecher, founder of Autism Personal Coach, Cleveland, Ohio, discussing “Wait, That Affects Executive Functioning?”
INTEGRAL is Wisconsin’s only adult autism conference and is hosted by the Autism Society of South-Central Wisconsin (ASC). Last year was the first virtual conference, which brought in attendees from as far away as Iceland, giving attendees the opportunity to meet people from around the world.
According to Scott Allen, co-founder and coordinator of the conference, “INTEGRAL (Interactive Network, Talks, & Education for Growing Autism Legitimacy) is an autism conference like no other. It puts adults on the autism spectrum front and center, not as a subject for others to discuss, but for them to exchange perspectives with non-autistic professionals and parents so that everyone can learn from each other.”
All stakeholders of the autism community are invited to attend — adults on the spectrum, parents, support workers, researchers, clinicians, therapists, educators, social workers, disability advocates, law enforcement and business leaders among others.
Scott said, “The biggest goal of INTEGRAL is to get lots of perspectives in the same place sharing ideas, educating each other and forging a stronger community through direct interaction.”
Complete details can be found at https://integralautism.org/.