Category Archives: Autism Videos at ACT

Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten – Workshop Recording

Free Parent Workshop – Recording

Starting kindergarten is an exciting milestone for children and families — but it can also bring questions and uncertainty. In this recorded workshop, experienced behaviour analysts Angie Ho and Jennifer Vellenoweth share practical strategies to help parents and caregivers support their child’s transition into kindergarten with confidence.

This session explores everyday ways to build children’s independence, emotional readiness, and school readiness through simple routines and supportive family practices.

In this workshop, you will learn about:

  • Building confidence and independence before school begins
  • Supporting emotional readiness for new environments
  • Using daily routines to strengthen important life skills
  • Helping families prepare for the transition to kindergarten

This session is especially helpful for parents and caregivers preparing a child for kindergarten, as well as educators and professionals supporting young children.

Presenters:
Angie Ho, M.Ed., BCBA
Jennifer Vellenoweth, M.Sc., BCBA
Directors, First Connections – Semiahmoo Behaviour Analysts, Inc.

Workshop Recording

📺 Session Recording

The Experience of Autism for Girls and Women

Free Online Learning Series: Autism in Girls & Women – Session 2

Overview

In January 2026, the Neurodivergent Working Group, a collaboration of various organizations across British Columbia, hosted two free online learning sessions focused on neurodivergent-affirming care for autistic girls and women.

These sessions were designed to support educators, mental health professionals, and community members in deepening their understanding of autism as it presents in girls and women, and in fostering environments that affirm neurodivergent identities.

This page provides a brief overview of the workshops, along with access to the session recording and presentation slides.

 

This recorded session explores the lived experiences of Autistic girls and women, highlighting the diverse ways autism can present across genders.

Led by Kenzie Curby and Izabelle Stevens, Autistic self-advocates, this conversation centres on lived experience, neurodivergent voices, and practical insights to support more informed, compassionate, and neurodiversity-affirming practice.

Viewers will gain insight into:

  • Demand-avoidant profiles

  • Co-occurring mental health needs

  • How autism may present differently in girls and women

  • The importance of neurodiversity-affirming approaches

This video is relevant for professionals, families, caregivers, and community members seeking to deepen their understanding of autism and better support Autistic girls and women.

Presenters

Kenzie Curby & Izabelle Stevens
Autistic self-advocates

About the Series

This session is part of the Free Online Learning Series: Autism in Girls & Women, hosted by the Neurodivergent Working Group. The series centres neurodivergent-affirming care and elevates lived experience to inform inclusive and respectful support practices.

Workshop Recording

📺 Session Recording

 

Neurodivergent Affirming Care: Supporting Autistic Girls and Women: Danielle Busayong

Online Workshop Recordings & Resources

Overview

In January 2026, the Neurodivergent Working Group, a collaboration of various organizations across British Columbia, hosted two free online learning sessions focused on neurodivergent-affirming care for autistic girls and women.

These sessions were designed to support educators, mental health professionals, and community members in deepening their understanding of autism as it presents in girls and women, and in fostering environments that affirm neurodivergent identities.

This page provides a brief overview of the workshops, along with access to the session recording and presentation slides.

 

Session 1

Neurodivergent Affirming Care: Supporting Autistic Girls and Women

Audience:
School and Mental Health Professionals

Date:
January 23, 2026
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM (PST)

Format:
Online (Zoom)

 

Session Description

This online session focuses on neuroaffirming practices and building supportive, inclusive environments for autistic and neurodivergent youth.

Through discussion and real-world examples, participants gain insight into:

  • Masking and its impacts

  • Autistic burnout

  • How autism may present in girls and gender-diverse youth

  • Practical strategies to support neurodivergent individuals without forcing conformity to neurotypical norms

The session emphasizes understanding, respect, and empowerment, centering the lived experiences of neurodivergent people.

 

Presenter

Danielle Busayong
Neurodivergent AuDHD Speech-Language Pathologist

Danielle (Dani) Busayong is a neurodivergent AuDHD Speech-Language Pathologist who brings a holistic, strengths-based approach to communication support. Drawing on her own journey of self-discovery around neurodivergence and cultural identity, Dani collaborates with families and clients to define what meaningful communication looks like for them—rather than shaping individuals to fit a neurotypical mould.

Dani is deeply committed to empowering neurodivergent individuals in their right to communicate in ways that feel authentic and affirming.

 

Workshop Recording

📺 Session Recording

 

Presentation Slides

📄 Presentation Slides (PDF)

 

Language Matters: Transforming Healthcare for Neurodivergent People

Presented by Angie Ip, MHSc, MD, PhD; Mac Landerholm; Sarah McGowan, SLP

Download the toolkit (pdf)

This workshop explores the impact of language in healthcare settings around neurodivergence, neurodiversity, and disability. Following a brief lecture, participants will put their new learning to work through reflections on lived experiences shared by neurodivergent individuals and their families, and interactive learning activities. Participants will gain tools to create a more inclusive environment for their teams and the clients and families they work with.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify potentially ableist language used in their practice or organization.
  • Use neutral and strength-based language to communicate with their patients and clients.
  • Recommend and act on one change within your practice or organization to better support care for neurodivergent people and neurodiverse families.

Mac Landerholm

Mac Landerholm (she/they) is a neurodivergent research assistant facilitating the Community Advisory Board at the Anxiety Stress and Autism Program Lab. She is a UBC graduate with psychology and gender race sexuality and social justice degrees, working towards a masters in occupational therapy. Their areas of focus are introducing families to disability, neuroaffirming support, and community led research. She has worked as an autism support worker and summer camp inclusion supervisor.

Sarah McGowan, MSc, SLP

Sarah McGowan is a speech language pathologist with a specialism in supporting neurodivergent children and youth and their families. Sarah currently works on the outpatient assessment teams at Sunny Hill Health Centre, BC Children’s Hospital. Prior to joining Sunny Hill, Sarah worked in Vancouver Coastal Health’s community SLP team, in private practice and in community SLP teams within the National Health Service in the UK.

Angie Ip, MHSc, MD, PhD

Angie Ip is a family member of neurodivergent persons, a developmental pediatrician at BC Children’s Hospital, and the medical director of the BC Autism Assessment Network. As a researcher and educator, Angie is working to bring family and neurodivergent voices to the forefront to guide research priorities and mobilize system changes that promote the well-being, participation, and inclusion of neurodiverse families.

Neurodiversity 101 & Autism Acceptance

Presented by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD (she/they)

Global advocate Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu presents on “Neurodiversity 101” & “Autism Acceptance”. These two presentations incorporate research, community-led efforts, nomenclature, and lived experiences via an intersectional lens.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify practical, inclusive strategies for communicating about autism that will aid in cultivating acceptance and empowerment
  • Learn key principles of neurological diversity, including an overview of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, the neurodiversity movement, and related concepts
  • Analyze hallmarks of autism within the neurodiversity paradigm, including strengths and challenges
  • Explore strategies for reciprocal, respectful connection across neurotypes

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD, MA (she/they)

Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is a global advocate, educator, disabled person of color, non-binary woman, and parent in a neurodiverse, multicultural, twice-exceptional serodifferent biological and adoptive family. A prolific writer and social scientist/activist whose work focuses on intersectional justice, meaningful community involvement, human rights, and inclusion, Morénike is recognized as a leader in various disability justice endeavors, including serving as founder/principal consultant of Advocacy Without Borders, a grassroots intersectional non-profit initiative offering DEIA, education, advocacy, keynotes/lectures, training, research, expert review, and related projects.

Morénike co-chairs the Equity, Justice, and Representation Advisory Committee of the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) and is also a member of several executive boards, a collaborator with various like-minded organizations, and a highly sought after public speaker, trainer, and consultant who has presented at the White House, the United Nations, and numerous peer-reviewed international conferences.

Notable publications of Morénike’s include various chapter contributions and peer-reviewed articles as well as co-editing AWN’s groundbreaking anthologies Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity and the initial edition of All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism. Morénike, who has also been featured in the NY Times, NBC’s Today Show, the BBC, NPR, and other media outlets, is the author of the forthcoming Open Access monograph A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey…in Color.

Part 1: Autism Acceptance

The session focuses on neurodiversity and autism acceptance, emphasizing resource sharing and diverse perspectives. It highlights the importance of comfort and accessibility, discussing the five Cs of accessibility. A strength-based approach is advocated, recognizing the positive traits of neurodivergent individuals. The discussion also addresses the significance of language in identity, challenges in obtaining accommodations, and the disparities faced by disabled individuals in education and healthcare.

Resources from this presentation

Part 2: Neurodiversity 101

Neurodiversity and autism acceptance are crucial topics that emphasize personal accountability and accessibility. The five Cs—comfort, cooperation, communication, connection, and consideration—are essential for effective presentations. The discussion highlights the emotional challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals and the importance of family support. It also addresses the need for inclusive education and the complexities of social interactions, particularly for parents navigating these experiences.

Resources from this presentation

Transitions to Adulthood for Neurodivergent Youth

Presented by Henry Au, Robie Brown, Kenzie Curby, Elsbeth Dodman, Javier Herrera, Damon Kirsebom, and Izabelle Stevens

This presentation shares the personal insights and experiences of autistic individuals as they navigate their transitions to adulthood. The panel offers valuable reflections on the challenges and triumphs of growing into adulthood and accessing support during this time.

This presentation was part of a free event in the North Shore Neurodivergent Working Group Series, offering free sessions for school professionals, parents, and autism specialists in the Lower Mainland.

ACT extends its gratitude to the panelists for sharing their personal experiences and expertise.

Please be advised that part 2 & 3 includes personal accounts of sexual assault, sexual conduct and mentions of suicide.

Part 1: Kenzie Curby, Izabelle Stevens, Elsbeth Dodman, & Damon Kiresbom

Part 2: Henry Au, Javier Herrera, & Robie Brown

Part 3: Question & Answer with Henry Au, Robie Brown, Javier Herrera, & Damon Kirsebom

Mental Health, Suicide, and Autism

Recordings from ACT’s 2024 Focus on Research Conference

Research practitioners, which include Autistic Adults, illustrate why we need to learn about mental health and suicide within the Autistic community. Learn the suicide risk factors and warning signs as well as practical strategies and resources to identify and support those in crisis.

Suicide is a leading cause of premature death in autistic people. Autistic individuals are significantly more likely to think about and attempt suicide than members of the general population. However, most mental health professionals do not feel confident about identifying suicide risk, particularly signs of acute risk (i.e., warning signs), and intervening when autistic individuals are in crisis.

In bringing Anne, Lisa, Rachel, Jessica, and Shari to Vancouver, our goal is to improve knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to recognizing risk factors and warning signs of suicide risk in Autistic individuals, and identifying appropriate crisis supports and resources for this population.

In these presentations, participants will learn:

  • From Autistic adults with lived experience
  • Why we need to talk about mental health and suicide in the Autistic community
  • The importance of reframing responsibilities and creating culturally safe clinical settings
  • Why school drop-out rates are high among autistic youth and what to do to address this issue
  • The functions of self-injury (i.e., the needs it fulfills, and that self-injury may be suicidal or non-suicidal)
  • About the research related to mental health needs that may be associated with suicide risk and the efficacy of adapted Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
  • About the Autism Resource “Warning Signs of Suicide: Considerations for the Autism Community“
  • Next steps as family members, Autistic community members, and professionals

Anne V. Kirby, PhD, OTR/L

Dr. Anne Kirby is an occupational therapist and researcher currently studying suicide prevention needs in the autistic community. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah in the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, with an adjunct role in the Department of Psychiatry and Huntsman Mental Health Institute. She is a principal investigator with the Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE). She currently leads an NIH-funded research project in partnership with autistic community members in AASPIRE about suicide prevention for the autistic community. She has also conducted studies on other needs among the autistic community and their families, as well as suicide risk and prevention in other populations.

Jessica Schwartzman, PhD

Dr. Jessica Schwartzman is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of USC and Director of the Training and Research to Empower NeuroDiversity (TREND) Lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The TREND Lab investigates risks for adverse mental health outcomes in neurodivergent people and their families and partners with community members to develop treatments, with a new research line on mental health outcomes in neurodivergent Latino youth. Dr. Schwartzman is a sibling of an autistic young man with intellectual disability and passionate about participatory research that merges self-advocate, family, and provider perspectives to improve mental healthcare for neurodivergent people.

Lisa Morgan, M.Ed. CAS

Lisa Morgan is a consultant specializing in crisis supports and suicide prevention for autistic people. Lisa is founder and co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup and has led the development of several autism specific resources for communicating and supporting autistic people in crisis.  A self-advocate with a passion for strengths-based solutions, Lisa has authored several books, articles, and resources all available on her website: www.autismcrisissupport.com. She is a community council member of AASET (Autistic Adults and other Stakeholders Engaged Together) a group of autistic adults participating in research. Lisa has a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching, is a Certified Autism Specialist, a peer reviewer of the online journal, Autism in Adulthood, and owner of Lisa Morgan Consulting LLC. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work degree. 

Rachel Mosely, PhD

Dr Rachel Moseley completed her PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, UK, and is now Principle Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University. While her early work focused on brain function and connectivity, her research now centres on issues facing autistic adults, most notably mental ill-health and suicidality. Dr Moseley is herself autistic, and is passionate about participatory research, positive representation of neurodivergent people, and public engagement to increase acceptance and kindness around neurodiversity. 

Shari Jager-Hyman, PhD

Shari Jager-Hyman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Broadly, Dr. Jager-Hyman studies the development and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for suicide prevention. In particular, Dr. Jager-Hyman focuses on tailored approaches to suicide prevention for autistic individuals developed in collaboration with autistic partners.

Virtual Panelists for Day 1, Session 5

Bobbi Duncan-Ishcomer

Bobbi Duncan-Ishcomer (they/them) is a queer, two-spirit, Autistic Mental Health Peer Specialist living in Austin, TX. In addition to their work as an MHPS, Bobbi is also currently serving as a Community Partner with AASPIRE, and loves being a part of ongoing research. Bobbi has a degree in Linguistics and Russian Language from The University of Texas at Austin and did their thesis work on Language and Identity in Disability and LGBTQ+ communities. When not working to dismantle systems of oppression, Bobbi loves hammock camping with their wife and dogs, turning lumber into furniture, memorizing esoteric geography facts, and playing sorcerers Dungeons & Dragons. 

Alex Jacobs

Alex Jacobs is an autistic self-advocate and researcher. She was a speaker on the Vanderbilt Ethics Grand Round panel on the inclusion of autistic self-advocates in research and has been featured as a ‘Hotline Hero’ for her work on the US National Suicide Prevention Hotline. During her free time, Alex practices self-care by playing board games and cooking. 

Rachel Kripke-Ludwig

Rachel Kripke-Ludwig (she/hers) is a nonspeaking, autistic advocate who will attend Arizona State University in the Fall. She attends Open Mind School in Menlo Park. She is a Community Partner in the AASPIRE Community Based Participatory Research Group. She is also on the Community Advisory Council of CommunicationFIRST, the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people who cannot rely on speech to communicate. She is a frequent speaker on neurodiversity and the rights of nonspeaking autistics. To learn more please see, Rachel Tells It All. 

Izabelle Stevens

Izabelle Stevens is an autistic, neurodiverse advocate and certified Social Support Worker. Her strong sense of justice and passion for the betterment of services and treatment for the disabled and neurodiverse community has led her to become the Youth Representative on the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s Minister’s Advisory Council for Children and Youth with Support Needs; and a board member for the Family Support Insititute of British Columbia. Izabelle’s experience with ACT includes being a member of the Self-Injurious Behaviour Committee. Izabelle uses her lived experience to advocate in her community and is also a member of the SD46 Accessibility Committee. 

Moderators

April 4: Grace Iarocci, PhD

Grace Iarocci, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab. A registered psychologist, Dr. Iarocci works closely with government and community agencies in BC to disseminate research information on ASD and influence policy on ASD and other developmental disabilities. Grace has a particular interest in researching quality of life issues among families living with ASD.

April 5: Elina Birmingham, PhD

Elina Birmingham, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Educational Psychology area of the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the University of British Columbia in 2008, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the California Institute of Technology, and Simon Fraser University. The overarching goal of her research is to better understand and support children, youth and adults on the Autism Spectrum.

Part 1: Lisa’s Story

Presented by Lisa Morgan and Anne Kirby

Part 2: Autism & Suicide: From Epidemiology to Personal Accounts

Presented by Jessica Schwartzman and Anne Kirby

Part 3: Suicide and social connectedness: Changing our perspective on suicide in autistic people

Presented by Lisa Morgan & Rachel Moseley

Part 4: A Tailored Approach to Suicide Prevention for Autistic Youth

Presented by Shari Jager-Hyman

Part 5: Autistic Perspectives on Mental Health

Presented by panelists Bobbi Duncan-Ishcomer, Alex Jacobs, Rachel Kripke-Ludwig, and Izabelle Stevens

Part 6: Self-injury and its relationship with suicide

Presented by Rachel Moseley

Part 7: Treating depression in autistic youth: Partnering with autistic people in clinical research and service

Presented by Jessica Schwartzman

Part 8: Overview of Resources on Autism and Suicide Prevention

Presented by Jessica Schwartzman, Anne Kirby, Lisa Morgan, and Shari Jager-Hyman

Part 9:  Warning Signs of Suicide for Autistic People

Presented by Lisa Morgan and Jessica Schwartzman

Part 10:  Future of Research

Presented by panelists: Lisa Morgan, Shari Jager-Hyman, Anne Kirby, Rachel Mosely, and Jessica Schwartzman

Additional Resources

Support free evidence-based resources – Donate to ACT!

Autism, Sexual Health, and Safety: Empowering Community

Presented by Amy Gravino, Landa Fox, and Jessica Cauchi

Accessible sexual health education is an essential part of learning. In this nine part workshop, sexual health educators present on educational approaches and resources to support age-appropriate, accessible sexual health education for autistic individuals.

Part 1: Lived Experience Part 1 presented by Amy Gravino

In this workshop, participants learn about:

  • The safety risks posed by a lack of information and empowerment, and the corresponding importance of accessible sexual health education.
  • Developmental norms for sexual behaviors and knowledge, including how to adapt lessons for different ages and goals.
  • Identification of knowledge and skills that may need to be explicitly taught to autistic learners, including consent, body autonomy, and privacy.
  • Common barriers faced by parents, teachers, and support staff, including tips for increasing comfort with sexual health and safety topics.
  • Approaches for assessment and treatment of contextually inappropriate sexual behaviors.
  • Personal insights and lessons learned from lived experience as an autistic woman.

Amy Gravino, MA, is an autism sexuality advocate and Relationship Coach in the Center for Adult Autism Services at Rutgers University. She is also the President of A.S.C.O.T Consulting, which offers autism consulting, college coaching, and mentoring services for organizations, schools, individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families. Amy is an international speaker who has given TED talks, spoken twice at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day, and presented worldwide to audiences on a variety of topics related to autism, with a dedicated special focus and research on the subject of autism and sexuality.

Ms. Gravino obtained her Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University in 2010 and currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Yes She Can, Inc. and the Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City, as well as the Scientific Advisory Board of Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research (SPARK). She is an award-winning writer who has co-authored a chapter on autism and sexuality in the Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and her work has been featured in Spectrum, the leading online news source for autism research, and other outlets. Visit www.amygravino.com to learn more.

Landa Fox is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and Certified Sexual Health Educator living and working in lək̓ʷəŋən Territory (Victoria, British Columbia). She has worked in the field of autism and disability support since 2003. Currently, her work focuses on sexual health, relationship, and safety education for autistic and other neurodivergent people. She also teaches sexual health education in schools around Victoria.

Her work often centers around creating and modifying existing sexual health and relationship education to be meaningful, accessible, and inclusive. She also works to create behavior support plans to address contextually inappropriate sexual behavior. Her work is client-centered, values-led, rights-based, and grounded in harm reduction principles.

She also trains caregivers, teachers, staff, and communities about sexual health development and inclusive sex education. Her special interests within the area of sexual health education include how to promote a culture of consent and body autonomy for autistic children and youth; developing affirming and rights-based sex education; and advocating for access to sexuality and sexual health for everyone. Visit www.positiveconnections.ca to learn more.

Dr. Cauchi is a behavior analyst that has worked with people on the autism spectrum for over 20 years. She resides in Ontario, Canada. Jessica received her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Endicott College and is a doctoral level Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Certified Progressive Behavior Analyst – Autism Professional. Dr. Cauchi is interested in research and clinical practice in curriculum development and effective teaching practices in sexuality skills for persons on the autism spectrum, meaningful programming, rapport and assent, and progressive ABA. She has published work in these areas, as well as presented on these topics across Canada and internationally.

Part 2: Safety and Skills presented by Jessica Cauchi

Part 3: The Behavior of Sexuality presented by Jessica Cauchi

Part 4: Accessible Sexual Health and Safety Education presented by Landa Fox

Part 5: Panel Discussion

Part 6: Lived Experience part 2 presented by Amy Gravino

Part 7: I Want To, but Where Do I Start? presented by Landa Fox

Part 8: Questions & Answers with Amy Gravino and Landa Fox

Part 9:  Assessing and Addressing Contextually Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour presented by Landa Fox

It’s the Most Anxious Time of the Year: Autism, Anxiety and the Holidays

Presented by Elsbeth Dodman

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone— particularly members of the neurodiverse community. Elsbeth Dodman pulls from her personal experiences to provide you with vital tools for the holiday season.

In this video you will learn about:

  • Elsbeth’s lived & personal experiences, and why the holidays can be overwhelming for many.
  • Toolkits and techniques for Autistic individuals to manage stressors that can arise any time, and especially during the holidays.
  • Techniques for families, professionals and community members, to support Autistic individuals during stressful times.

About the Presenter

Elsbeth Dodman is an Autistic woman living in London, Ontario with her family and 2 cats. She has an Honors BA in Fine Art History and Anthropology from the University of Toronto and a post graduate certificate in Autism Behavioral Science from Fanshawe College. Elsbeth has worked with AIDE Canada and the Ontario Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, and has been giving public presentations on Autism since she was 18. 

Your donations support free videos

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone— particularly members of the neurodiverse community. This free video is supported by donations from our supporters.

Your donation means we can empower the Autistic community with vital knowledge, in new ways such as through “ACT Chats”—our free series of informational events, videos, content, and resources.

Sensory Features and Anxiety in Autism: Implications for families and practitioners

Recordings from ACT’s Focus on Research Conference 2023

The goal of this video series is to improve understanding and support for autistic people who experience anxiety and sensory differences.

Captions and ASL interpretation are available for all videos.

Distinct expressions of anxiety in autistic individuals (and why they matter)
Connor Kerns, PhD

Presentation details

This talk describes challenges to the detection of anxiety problems in autistic individuals and provides a rationale for why overcoming these challenges – by recognizing and better understanding the distinct way autistic individuals may experience anxiety – is so important.

Dr. Connor Kerns has conducted and published studies on a broad array of topics including the role of paternal age in ASD risk, the co-occurrence of childhood psychopathologies, and differential predictors of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’s (CBT) efficacy for child anxiety. Her present research focuses on the overlap, assessment and treatment of anxiety and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her ongoing projects aim to explore the varied presentation and phenomenology of anxiety in ASD and the implications of this variation for effective anxiety measurement and treatment. Dr. Kerns is also preparing to extend this work to the understudied area of traumatic events and their sequelae in youth with ASD. Another area of interest is the use of technology to facilitate the dissemination of empirically based treatments. Dr. Kerns is currently working to develop cost-effective, computer-assisted CBTs for youth with ASD and anxiety, interactive social stories to improve skill generalization in ASD, and video-enhanced ASD screening and educational tools. Her long terms goals include developing a parsimonious model of psychiatric co-occurrence to inform the design and dissemination of cross-diagnostic assessments and treatments that improve child wellbeing and development.

Presentation handouts:

Panel: Experiences with Anxiety

Presentation details
Moderated by Grace Iarocci, PhD

Grace Iarocci, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab. A registered psychologist, Dr. Iarocci works closely with government and community agencies in BC to disseminate research information on ASD and influence policy on ASD and other developmental disabilities. Grace has a particular interest in researching quality of life issues among families living with ASD.

Kenzie Curby

A 20-year-old, late diagnosed, autistic self-advocate with a strong voice, hoping to aid in the inclusion of the autistic community. Kenzie is passionate about voicing the importance of understanding demand avoidant profiles and co-occurring mental health disorders in autistic individuals. With over seven years supporting autistic youth both in the home and school settings, Kenzie’s goals are to bring acceptance and understanding for autistic individuals.

Coralee Curby

Coralee is a mother of two amazing neurodivergent kids, an educator and lover of learning new things. She has worked as a School Psychologist over the past 23 years with a combined background in education, counselling psychology, school psychology and specialized learning interventions. Coralee is most passionate about learning alongside her own children, working within schools to discover the unique gifts and strengths of each student, supporting strong and collaborative communities of care. Coralee is forever changed by the gift of mothering.

Kelsey Richards

Kelsey Richards, BSc. Kin., MOT is an Occupational Therapist at the Centre for Child Development in Surrey, BC. Kelsey conducts sensory assessments for children/youth referred by the Child and Youth Mental Health Team and Ministry of Children and Family Development Social Workers. The purpose of the sensory assessment is to help the child/youth and their caregivers gain awareness of unique sensory needs, explore and identify strategies to meet sensory needs, help reframe behaviour from a sensory lens, and finally support families to advocate for accommodations to enable participation in meaningful daily activities.

Narinder Bains

Narinder Bains is a registered nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Outside the hospital, Narinder is an advocate for her 20-year-old nephew who has been diagnosed with autism since the age of three years old. For the past 17 years, his mother was the expert on how to advocate for her son and my role was to support her. After Narinder’s family suffered from her sisters loss last year, Narinder has been learning how to take on a role as advocate to ensure her nephew has his voice being heard in this space.

Hardeep Orimaco

Hardeep Orimaco has been working in the field of caring for others since she was 17 years of age. Hardeep first completed her community support worker diploma and worked in residential homes supporting young adults with mental health challenges and special needs. Hardeep went back to school and completed her practical nursing in 2003. This led Hardeep to work in long-term care and palliative care. In 2007 Hardeep started to foster children and youth with special needs in her own home. She is passionate about stabilizing and making a difference in the lives of the children and youth. Hardeep received her Bachelor of nursing in 2008. Since 2010 Hardeep has been a program manager overseeing operations of residential staffed homes for children and youth with special needs. Hardeep is a huge advocate for the children and youth in her care. She has two of her own biological children, a 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. Hardeep believes in life-long learning and enjoys reading and nature walks.

Exploring Sensory Processing Subtypes in Autism
Nichole Scheerer, PhD

Presentation details

Autistic individuals often show different reactions to sensory information (e.g., sounds, sights, smells, etc.) in their environment. These reactions vary across autistic individuals and across sensory modalities. These sensory differences have been shown to promote behaviours that challenge and cause distress in autistic individuals. Sensory behaviours are predictive of other functions including motor, social, and cognitive abilities. Preliminary research suggests that specific sensory differences may cluster together within individuals creating discrete sensory processing subtypes. This talk focuses on research examining the existence of, and predictive power of sensory processing subtypes. Further, the relationship between sensory differences and anxiety are discussed.

Nichole Scheerer is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Nichole received her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Laurier in 2015. Nichole then completed postdoctoral training in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab at Simon Fraser University, as well as the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. Nichole’s research combines behavioural and electrophysiological techniques to investigate sensory processing in both typically and atypically developing people.

Presentation handouts:

Attention and Neurodivergent Sensory Experiences
Patrick Dwyer, PhD (c)

Presentation details

This presentation explores sensory processing and attention for neurodivergent people. Specifically, data and practical suggestions are presented on the relationship between hyper-reactivity and hypo-reactivity, and how anxiety and attentional hyper-vigilance are closely intertwined.

Patrick is an autistic PhD candidate in developmental psychology in the Neurocognitive Development Lab at the University of California, Davis. His main research interest is using various research methods, such as questionnaires, electrophysiology, eye-tracking, and cognitive tasks, to explore and understand sensory processing and attention in autism. More broadly, Patrick is interested in anything relevant to the well-being of autistic and neurodivergent people, and he has studied community perspectives regarding intervention and neurodiversity controversies. Patrick is a co-founder of the Autistic Researchers Committee at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and helped to found a neurodivergent peer-support and advocacy community at UC Davis. He maintains a blog, autisticscholar.com. On a local note, Patrick grew up in B.C. and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria.

Presentation handouts:

Using artificial intelligence to improve quality of life of autistic children with decreased sound tolerance
Elina Birmingham, PhD & Siamak Arzanpour, PhD

Presentation details

Many children on the autism spectrum suffer from decreased sound tolerance (DST). When exposed to these sounds, children feel very distressed, which can cause them to react with behaviours such as covering their ears, yelling, or attempting to escape. Accommodations for DST, including earplugs or earmuffs, noise canceling headphones, or allowing them to take breaks in a quiet area may interfere with the child’s full participation in educational, community and family activities. To address this gap, we have developed a listening device that both detects and filters out specific sounds, delivering a “clean” signal to the user’s ears. We are currently testing the performance of the system in a VR environment.


Elina Birmingham, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Educational Psychology area of the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the University of British Columbia in 2008, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the California Institute of Technology, and Simon Fraser University. The overarching goal of her research is to better understand and support children, youth and adults on the Autism Spectrum. Her recent research spans the disciplines of psychology, education, and engineering. For example, in an interdisciplinary collaboration with SFU Mechatronic Systems Engineering (Siamak Arzanpour), she is working on creating smart technology using artificial intelligence to support autistic children, youth and adults who experience decreased sound tolerance. This work is funded by the Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN), a Network of Centres of Excellence.

Dr. Siamak Arzanpour received his PhD. in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 2006. After two years of research as a Postdoctoral Fellow, he joined the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering at Simon Fraser University in 2008.

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Panel: Early Development & Sensory

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Moderated by Dr. Grace Iarocci

Grace Iarocci, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab. A registered psychologist, Dr. Iarocci works closely with government and community agencies in BC to disseminate research information on ASD and influence policy on ASD and other developmental disabilities. Grace has a particular interest in researching quality of life issues among families living with ASD.

Keith Landherr, MA, OT

Keith is the Director and founder of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Incorporated, where he strives to provide family-centred treatment to children and families. For over 30 years, Keith has been identifying and treating sensory processing differences in individuals from birth through adulthood. By honouring their unique histories and individual differences, he is able to create effective client centered practices. His work includes intensive early intervention programs, school-based services and private Occupational Therapy clinics in the lower mainland and New York City.

Keith has presented to child development centres in British Columbia and New York City, and has provided lectures for ICDL’s DIRFloortime® Training Program, New York City Department of Education, Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York, and as an adjunct professor of Occupational Therapy at NYU. Keith is a graduate of New York University’s (NYU) Occupational Therapy Program and has advanced training in Sensory Integration, Multiple Therapeutic Learning Systems, Neuro-Development Treatment, and is a certified DIRFloortime ®Trainer.

Anamaria Richardson

Anamaria Richardson is a (community based) pediatrician that works in Vancouver – prior to pediatrics she was a highschool teacher.  Currently, she works with many Spanish speaking patients given her Latina heritage, with children who have severe behavioural complexity, and with Indigenous communities both local and remote.  Her interest in health equity have resulted in a research program that aims to better understand the needs of specific patient populations as well as identifying leverage points for systems change – she believes we can always do things better.

Camila Ranasinghe

Chamila Ranasinghe is the mother of a 15-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder. She has been running an Applied Behaviour Analysis home program for her son for 13 years, with involvement of Behaviour Consultants, Behaviour Interventionists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. Chamila has more than 20-years experience working with children, as a teacher (English Language Learners) and an Early Childhood Educator.

Leaf Ludwig

Leaf is an autistic advocate who loves long naps with dogs, aquafit, and spending time in the forest. After obtaining a degree in biology from the University of British Columbia, Leaf has spent the past three years furthering their education and training. Currently, they are studying to work with people with sensory and communication disabilities. As a multiply disabled student, Leaf hopes to support their community by improving disabled students’ access to STEM education in particular. Leaf is committed to sharing their knowledge and experiences through consulting on autism focused research, and has been involved in various studies over the past few years.

Panel: Future in Research

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Moderated by Michelle Schmidt, PhD

Michelle Schmidt, PhD is the Executive Director of ACT – Autism Community Training. Prior to joining ACT in 2022, Michelle Schmidt was involved in public education in British Columbia, as an educator, school psychologist, and administrator. Most recently, Michelle served as Director of Instruction in the Surrey School District, where she was responsible for inclusive education and supports for students with diverse abilities.

Connor Kerns

Dr. Connor Kerns has conducted and published studies on a broad array of topics including the role of paternal age in ASD risk, the co-occurrence of childhood psychopathologies, and differential predictors of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’s (CBT) efficacy for child anxiety. Her present research focuses on the overlap, assessment and treatment of anxiety and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her ongoing projects aim to explore the varied presentation and phenomenology of anxiety in ASD and the implications of this variation for effective anxiety measurement and treatment. Dr. Kerns is also preparing to extend this work to the understudied area of traumatic events and their sequelae in youth with ASD. Another area of interest is the use of technology to facilitate the dissemination of empirically based treatments. Dr. Kerns is currently working to develop cost-effective, computer-assisted CBTs for youth with ASD and anxiety, interactive social stories to improve skill generalization in ASD, and video-enhanced ASD screening and educational tools. Her long terms goals include developing a parsimonious model of psychiatric co-occurrence to inform the design and dissemination of cross-diagnostic assessments and treatments that improve child wellbeing and development.

Patrick Dwyer

Patrick is an autistic PhD candidate in developmental psychology in the Neurocognitive Development Lab at the University of California, Davis. His main research interest is using various research methods, such as questionnaires, electrophysiology, eye-tracking, and cognitive tasks, to explore and understand sensory processing and attention in autism. More broadly, Patrick is interested in anything relevant to the well-being of autistic and neurodivergent people, and he has studied community perspectives regarding intervention and neurodiversity controversies. Patrick is a co-founder of the Autistic Researchers Committee at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and helped to found a neurodivergent peer-support and advocacy community at UC Davis. He maintains a blog, autisticscholar.com. On a local note, Patrick grew up in B.C. and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria.

Nichole Scheerer

Nichole Scheerer is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Nichole received her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Laurier in 2015. Nichole then completed postdoctoral training in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab at Simon Fraser University, as well as the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. Nichole’s research combines behavioural and electrophysiological techniques to investigate sensory processing in both typically and atypically developing people.

Anamaria Richardson

Anamaria Richardson is a (community based) pediatrician working in Vancouver. Prior to pediatrics she was a high school teacher. Currently, she works with many Spanish speaking patients given her Latina heritage, with children who have severe behavioural complexity, and with Indigenous communities both local and remote. Her interest in health equity has resulted in a research program that aims to better understand the needs of specific patient populations as well as identifying leverage points for systems change – she believes we can always do things better.

Camila Ranasinghe

Chamila Ranasinghe is the mother of a 15-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder. She has been running an Applied Behaviour Analysis home program for her son for 13 years, with involvement of Behaviour Consultants, Behaviour Interventionists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. Chamila has more than 20-years experience working with children, as a teacher (English Language Learners) and an Early Childhood Educator.