Virtual Conference, October 17th, 2025, with the Asperger / Autism Network of New England. The Daniel W. Rosenn AANE Connections Conference is for adults on the Autism Spectrum, parents, and professionals. Empowering Neurodivergent Self-Advocacy is designed to introduce Neurodivergent individuals to strategies for effective self-advocacy.
*Speakers will share practical tools for self-advocacy, with a focus on energy regulation, storytelling, communication, and personal empowerment. Gain insights to promote dynamic growth.
See below for topics and speakers.
Registration is required to https://aane.org/events/aanes-fall-2025-virtual-daniel-w-rosenn-symposium-empowering-neurodivergent-self-advocacy-10-17-25-100-pm-300-pm-et/ or contact events@aane.org or (617) 393-3824 View 
Schedule:
- Becca Lory Hector will begin this event with a few opening remarks.
- Self Awareness: The Cornerstone of Self Advocacy (1:05 PM – 1:35 PM ET) To be able to practice self-advocacy, one must be very aware of personal strengths, needs, preferences and values. This presentation will discuss ways to sharpen these areas of self-awareness and apply the self-knowledge toward being one’s own best advocate.
- Storytelling as Self-Advocacy: Documenting and Preserving Our Histories (1:35 PM – 2:05 PM ET). Explore how telling and preserving our stories can challenge stereotypes, document our communities and shared lived experiences, and drive systemic change
- Energy Regulation – Moving from Self Knowledge to Self Advocacy (2:05 PM – 2:35 PM ET). This talk will introduce the concept of Energy Regulation and tools to help people explore their own regulation profiles and needs. Knowing one’s profile and needs helps a person to develop greater understanding of themselves and to determine accommodations, supports, and environmental modifications that are critical for supporting their regulation.
- Leadership as Self-Advocacy (2:35 PM – 2:55 PM ET) . Discuss leadership in systems such as education, disability service agencies, public policy, law, and healthcare as another form of self-advocacym, how autistic professionals catalyze paradigm change and counter ableism through the leadership process, and how many systems are still rife with explicit and implicit ableism.
- Closing Moments (2:55 PM – 3:00 PM ET) Becca Lory Hector will begin this conclude this event with a few closing remarks.
Speakers
- Valerie Gaus, PhD, ABPPDr. Gaus is a psychologist that specializes in individual psychotherapy for adults of all ages, from 18-98, with extensive experience serving people with disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma and stress-related problems. She approaches therapy using a cognitive-behavioral framework. She has written numerous articles, chapters and books on these subjects, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism.
- Casey DavisCasey E. Ovella Davis – Two years after becoming aware of her Autistic identity at the age of 33 and redesigning her life in a more neuro-affirming way, Casey decided in 2023 to bring her experience and passion for memory work to create the Autistic Voices Oral History Project. Casey is also the Adult Program Director at AutismTN where she facilitates ASAN-affiliate community groups and is an Adjunct Instructor for the School of Information Studies at Louisiana State University.
- Amy Laurent, PhD, OTR. Amy is a developmental psychologist and a registered pediatric occupational therapist. She is a co-author of the SCERTS model, a comprehensive, evidence-based model for supporting autistic individuals across the lifespan.
- Jacquelyn Fede, PhD. Jacquelyn Fede is a Autistic Self-Advocate, developmental psychologist and program evaluator. Dr. Fede helps educate others about autism through lecturing, blogging and consulting on evaluation projects.
- Zosia Zaks, PhD. Dr. Zaks a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and served as Manager of Programs and Education at Towson University’s Hussman Center for Autistic Adults from 2013-2022, continues to teach autism courses at several universities. Dr. Zaks advocates for legislation and public policies that ensure disabled people have access to the supports and services they need to live full lives and has served on the Maryland Commission on Disability, the Maryland Rehabilitation Council, and the Maryland Commission for Autism.
· A Neurovariant Lens to Belonging in the Workplace
· Autism: Making the Paradigm Shift
Fees apply, registration required to www.aane.org/training-education/fall-2022-conference/ 617 393-3824 or Events@aane.org
* 2022 Conference Speakers include:
- Dr. Kristen Bottema-Beutel – Kristen Bottema-Beutel, PhD is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. In her research, she uses quantitative and qualitative methods to understand social and language development, and social interaction dynamics in autistic children, youth, and adults. Kristen is also interested in developing supports to help autistic people participate and thrive in school and work settings. Kristen is a Senior Deputy Editor for the journal “Autism in Adulthood”, and an Associate Editor for the journal “Autism”.
- Samantha Craft (aka Marcelle Ciampi) – Known best for her “Autistic Traits List”, Samantha Craft (aka Marcelle Ciampi) is the author of the well-received blog and book that explores her late-age journey of an autism diagnosis (then classified as Aspergers). She is credited for largely architecting an innovative universal design inclusivity approach to the workplace, through her dedicated works at Ultranauts Inc., an engineering firm with an autism hiring initiative. A former school teacher, Craft has been cited in dozens of literature, including the books “We’re Not Broken” and “Divergent Mind”. Craft also contributed to the book “Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism”. Craft is what she coined a “neurovariant,” based on her unique neurological profile as an Autistic, ADHDer, dyslexic, dyspraxic, with gifted intellect, OCD, and complex-PTSD.
- Kendrick Cronin – Kendrick Cronin, MA is a neurodivergent trans man with a master’s degree in clinical counseling from Southern New Hampshire University. His professional focus is to increase understanding of and thus depathologize neurodivergency, transgender experiences, and living with mental illnesses. He lives in Minnesota, where he works for Mental Health Systems, a DBT clinic, as a pre-licensed therapist.
- Dr. Mary Doherty – Mary Doherty, MD is an autistic consultant anesthesiologist in Ireland and Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Alongside her clinical role, her research interests include improving healthcare for autistic people, addressing issues faced by autistic doctors & medical students and reframing the tragedy narrative around autism towards a neurodiversity-affirmative approach. She is the founder of peer support & advocacy groups “Autistic Doctors International” and “Autistic Med Students”.
- Dr. Rebecca Wood – Rebecca Wood, PhD is a former teacher and autism education practitioner who is a Lecturer in Inclusive Education at the University of Glasgow. She is also Principal Investigator of the Autistic School Staff Project. She has had two books published: “Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom” and a co-edited edited volume, “Learning From Autistic Teacher: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School”.
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