From your autcon organizers
Hi friends,
Wish you were here. We designed AutCon to be a space where autists could be with and learn from their peers and build relationships with like-minded people. Regrettably, the COVID-19 virus has affected the state in unprecedented ways, and we are not permitted to gather this year.
As we weighed the decision of whether to proceed in 2020, we decided to take AutCon online for a very specific reason: sharing. We believe the best way to learn about autism is to listen to the experts--those who live the autistic experience every day. AutCon has given us the opportunity to collect a library of outstanding presentations from autists across the state and we want to share that information.
So this year, AutCon is online. We've loaded the website with content on all sorts of topics and how they influence and intersect with autism. We want to express our gratitude to our presenters who were kind enough to record new material for this out-of-the-ordinary year. The are resources, activities, health and wellness support, and more! Our hope is that you will share your favorites on social media (#AutCon2020) with your thoughts on how, together, we can make the world a better place for autism.
We remain thankfully,
Your AutCon Organizers
[email protected]
Jared Stewart |
Jared Stewart, M.Ed., was named the 2018 Presenter of the Year by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and the 2011 Educator of the Year by the National Association of Private Special Education Centers. He currently works as Program Director for Provo Utah’s ScenicView Academy— a transitional school for neurodiverse adults targeting functional independence—where he teaches his students to recognize and embrace the strengths of their diagnoses. He is an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University, where he helps run their annual Conference on Autism and assists with the Melisa Nellesen Center’s Passages Program as a life-skills instructor and curriculum developer. In 2016 he was appointed by the governor to the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council and currently serves as the Council’s Vice Chairperson. Jared has spent almost two decades working with autistic adolescents and adults, and has shared his views on the techniques and mindsets that lead to improved outcomes for these individuals with many local and national audiences. His passion for the subject arises from personal experience: he has numerous family members on the Spectrum, and he was diagnosed with autism himself as an adult. In his rare free moments, Jared enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with his wife and three children— and adheres to the belief that there is untapped greatness in everyone, regardless of their so-called “disabilities”.
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Autism Across the Lifespan: Seasons of Struggle, Seasons of Growth.--Jared Stewart
The funny thing about kids with autism is that we grow up to be adults with autism! Jared reviews the research about what to expect throughout the "seasons" of life for individuals on the spectrum while recounting highlights of his own story and sharing tips for success. Bring your questions and experiences about what it means to live with ASD, and come celebrate the ups and downs of whatever season you’re in! |
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Nonverbal Communication—It’s What we DON’T Say! -Jared Stewart
Up to 93% of communication is non-verbal; meaning that the actual words we use are only a very small part of what we’re conveying when we interact with other people. Come learn the difference between making verbal mistakes, and making nonverbal mistakes—and how it’s usually these nonverbal errors that end up creating the misunderstandings that cost us jobs and friendships. All four areas of nonverbal communication will be explained and illustrated, and basic systems for nonverbal success will be shared. |
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Autism and Sexuality: What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us- Jared Stewart
Among all the research and discussion of issues related to Autism Spectrum Disorders, one subject is consistently overlooked: sexuality. And yet, despite our developmental delays, autistic people are still people—with the same hormones, same urges, and same physical development; and who face the same decisions that neurotypicals do. It might seem awkward or unpleasant to address sexual issues, but ignoring the subject is neither helpful nor possible. In this presentation, participants will learn both the critical importance of basic sexual education and a host of tips and topics across the lifespan. |
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Autism and Employment: Getting and Keeping a Job on the Spectrum--Jared Stewart Studies show that only 1 in 3 of those of us on the Spectrum have a job, and only about 1 in 5 of us hold down a "normal" job. And yet, there is nothing inherent in autism that should make it so difficult to find and keep employment-- especially when our strengths are taken into consideration! Come discuss facts, tips, and practical systems for interviewing, disclosure, and navigating the all-important (but often unwritten) social rules of the workplace. |
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Jared Stewart's Keynote address from the 2019 Autism Conference at Utah Valley University
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(This is the video shown near the end of Jared's presentation. We get lots of requests for it)
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Mark Fister
Mark Fister is a father and husband, executive, snowboarder, technologist, trail runner, speaker, canyoneer, author, investor, and terrible chess player. Mark loves to see business and technology from as many perspectives as possible. To wit, he has held 20 completely different titles in the software industry at companies like Dell, IBM, eBay, PayPal, and more, making him a jack of one trade and a master of none. He has even tried his hand at product management, sales engineering, straight up sales, and unfortunately, Dad jokes.
When not geeking out on tech, Mark is geeking out on something. Recently, it has been learning the ways of the servant leader. Having interviewed more than 100 people on the topic of servant leadership, Mark was researching mindsets for a series of books when he learned that he was on the spectrum. What a relief it was, for Mark’s entire life suddenly made sense to him! While soul searching (stay in tech? write books?), he was serendipitously introduced to auticon, a software and diversity & inclusion services company whose consultants are on the spectrum. There, he serves as Practice Director where his mission is to do his part to end joblessness for those with autism.
When not geeking out on tech, Mark is geeking out on something. Recently, it has been learning the ways of the servant leader. Having interviewed more than 100 people on the topic of servant leadership, Mark was researching mindsets for a series of books when he learned that he was on the spectrum. What a relief it was, for Mark’s entire life suddenly made sense to him! While soul searching (stay in tech? write books?), he was serendipitously introduced to auticon, a software and diversity & inclusion services company whose consultants are on the spectrum. There, he serves as Practice Director where his mission is to do his part to end joblessness for those with autism.
Layne kertamus
Layne Kertamus says, “when you can’t bring your whole self to work, the employer always misses out on part of your potential and you are left with an inauthentic employee experience that leaves you wanting more...it’s a lose-lose situation.”
Layne helps organizations become invincible. This happens when workplaces honor employees with hidden disabilities and neurodiverse ways of solving problems by valuing their contributions. Workplace wellness cultures that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable have the best results.
As a diversity leader, he provides problem solving consulting, training, and conflict management services. He is a TEDx Speaker and has been honored by the Utah Business Magazine as a Living Color Honoree for helping to make Utah a more diverse state.
Layne and his wife Andrea have six children and live in Salt Lake City.
Layne helps organizations become invincible. This happens when workplaces honor employees with hidden disabilities and neurodiverse ways of solving problems by valuing their contributions. Workplace wellness cultures that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable have the best results.
As a diversity leader, he provides problem solving consulting, training, and conflict management services. He is a TEDx Speaker and has been honored by the Utah Business Magazine as a Living Color Honoree for helping to make Utah a more diverse state.
Layne and his wife Andrea have six children and live in Salt Lake City.
Elliot Francis
Co-Founder of Optimizing Utah, Autism Advocate, and IT Project Manager at University of Utah Health Sciences
Elliot Francis is a graduate of the Multi-Disciplinary Design program at the University of Utah and a Co-Founder of Optimizing Autism. Having worked as a successful systems analyst and IT project manager during college and after graduation, Elliot has a breadth of expertise in cross-domain systems and solutions. His major projects include the development and deployment of two mission-critical internal software systems for the University of Utah Health Science Cores covering 15 research labs. Acting as one of the representing autists on the Optimizing Autism board, Elliot provides a specialist’s perspective on how autism can be leveraged in the modern detail-oriented work environment. Elliot and his wife of 5 years live and work in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Elliot Francis is a graduate of the Multi-Disciplinary Design program at the University of Utah and a Co-Founder of Optimizing Autism. Having worked as a successful systems analyst and IT project manager during college and after graduation, Elliot has a breadth of expertise in cross-domain systems and solutions. His major projects include the development and deployment of two mission-critical internal software systems for the University of Utah Health Science Cores covering 15 research labs. Acting as one of the representing autists on the Optimizing Autism board, Elliot provides a specialist’s perspective on how autism can be leveraged in the modern detail-oriented work environment. Elliot and his wife of 5 years live and work in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Sarah Heuser
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Sarah Adia Heuser has a bachelor's degree in behavioral science with an emphasis in psychology. Sarah is 29 years old and lives in Orem, Utah. She works for ScenicView Academy helping people with their government benefits. She was diagnosed as autistic with a side of Nonverbal Learning Disorder when she was 18. Upon her diagnosis she threw herself into studying autism from an autistic point of view by listening to fellow autistic folks while also reading academic research on the subject. In 2019 she received both the ARUCC Michael Sproul's Community Spirit award, and the UDDC's Professional of the Year award. She begins her graduate degree at the University of Utah this Fall.
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Help Me, I'm Poor! (Living On a Fixed Income)--Sarah Heuser
Sarah Heuser leads you through the wild world of government and community resources for when you are, well, poor. You’ll learn about low cost healthcare, resources for cheap or free food, tips and tricks for shopping, and more. (This presentation was captioned, but the captions disappeared from the file. The presenter asks for patience as she attempts to address this issue.) |
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Government Benefits 101 with Sarah Heuser In our community a lot of people need some extra help with finances. Government benefits are one of the best ways to get your needs met. Join Sarah as she guides you through the basics of government benefits, and answers some frequently asked questions. |
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Josh Olivas
Josh graduated from Arizona State with a bachelor's in Political Science. He moved to Mongolia shortly after and while there, to quote the DSM-5, the "social demands exceeded his limited capacities" and he was diagnosed with autism soon after returning to the US. He is working on a curriculum to help people with autism increase their self-awareness, and he loves making systems and proper flowcharts.
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Systems - Plan More, Stress Less!--Josh Olivas Wish you had more time for your hobbies? Stressed about all your responsibilities? Having trouble accomplishing tasks? Systems help us structure our lives. They are routine processes that help us stress less and do more. We'll talk a little bit about what systems are, why we should care about them, and we'll go over some tricks for making great systems to fit your needs. |
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Autism and Roleplaying Games: Surviving Real-World Encounters- Josh Olivas Life is an adventure and you are your own hero. But sometimes your character isn't best suited for a certain situation. Since there are no nat 20's in real life, come learn about how masking can help you achieve your goals and how tweaking your character can help you win people over. |
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Video Games Are VERY Useful--Josh Olivas The games we like say a lot about who we are. In fact they can say a lot about jobs or careers we may good at without even knowing it. So let's take a look at video games and how they can translate to real-world benefits, and put mom's nagging to rest once and for all. |
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christian swenson
Christian Swenson a young adjunct professor who's taught upwards of 10 solo classes at local universities in the last few years. A recent graduate of BYU's Comparative Studies MA program, Christian has given presentations on the relationship of art to psychology at multiple national conferences. He has high-functioning autism, and he wrote a play about autism called "The Box" that was produced to sold-out audiences in 2013. He married the love of his life last March in a small ceremony on the cusp of the pandemic. His interests include philosophy, mysticism, and the psychology of trauma.
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The Nature of Autism: What it Feels Like--Christian Swenson
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Dr. Damian Rodriguez
Dr. Damian Rodriguez is the health and exercise scientist for doTERRA International, LLC. He holds a doctorate in health science, a master’s degree in exercise physiology, and countless professional certifications. He has spent most of his life researching nutrition, exercise, and the lifestyle behaviors associated with optimal health. Along with his passion for health, as someone who lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is also involved in bringing awareness to autism spectrum disorders.
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Dr. Ian Summers |
So You Learned You're Autistic...
Ian Summers shares his personal journey of discovery about being diagnosed with autism as an adult. |
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Nancy Rountree
Nancy Rountree is currently the Library Diva at Spectrum Academy Elementary School in North Salt Lake. She describes her life as a timeline of oddness; slipping from awkward to weird, struggling through bizarre to unique, launching into goofball and ending up as being as being enough, a goofy, unique awkward person who has discovered she is ok, just the way she is. As a little girl she was always reading and pretending, and as an adult she enjoys saying, being and doing the unexpected. So people who meet her may walk away shaking their heads, but generally laughing, with a new story to tell. After being diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, Nancy began a period of introspection where she wrote, “ I used to be sad that I was different, that people were confused by me and I was confused by them, so I worked very hard to be like everyone else. But this didn’t make me happy either so I found somewhere in between where I am enjoying being me.
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Brian Luckau
Brian Luckau lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah with his wife and 6 boys. He is a psychology student minoring in autism studies, and plans to pursue an advanced degree in Industrial-organizational psychology. Brian works in software development and has first-hand experience when it comes to the issues autists face in people finding and keeping a job.
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Alison Greathouse
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Alison Greathouse has over 25 years' experience working with people with diverse medical, educational, and psychological needs. She works as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and she has worked for the state vocational rehabilitation agencies in Nevada, Utah, and California, where she was the liaison for the highest performing contract in the entire state. She is currently the Rehabilitation Counselor III (onsite supervisor) for the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation in Elko, Nevada.
Alison has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University. She earned her Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling, from San Francisco State University, with a specialization in counseling the Deaf/Hard of Hearing. The State of California has certified her as proficient in the use of American Sign Language. She is a member of both Mensa International and American Mensa. She currently serves as both the Gifted Youth Coordinator as well as the Young Adult Mensan Coordinator for Northern Nevada Mensa. |
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(This is the video Alison references in her presentation. It's funny. You'll like it)
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stacy stanford
Stacy Stanford is the policy analyst for the Utah Health Policy Project, a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to advancing sustainable healthcare solutions. She has been an activist for expanded healthcare access and disability rights for many years. She received a BA from Westminster College in Disability Justice, a customized degree program combining political science, sociology and justice studies. Her thesis, "Dehumanization, Dismissal, and Disparities: An Analysis of Harmful Trends in Healthcare Providers' Interactions with Autistic Patients", explored the complex connection between autism and healthcare access- specifically, the way anti-neurodiversity stigma impacts care.
Stacy and her husband, D, are both autistic, and have been making marriage on the spectrum work for almost a decade. They live in Rose Park with a herd of dogs and cats, and enjoy watching football.
Stacy and her husband, D, are both autistic, and have been making marriage on the spectrum work for almost a decade. They live in Rose Park with a herd of dogs and cats, and enjoy watching football.
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Autism and the Healthcare System--Stacy Stanford Autistic adults have drastic health disparities compared to our non-autistic peers, including early mortality rates, increased suicide risk, and higher rates of disease. This session will outline the basics of our healthcare system, and discuss the barriers faced by autistic patients. We will also discuss how you can engage in healthcare advocacy, from broad-scale political participation, to smaller-scale self-advocacy in the doctor's office. |
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Dr. Jonathan Cox
Jonathan Cox was raised in Orem, Utah. He attended Brigham Young University, and graduated with a B.S. in Psychology in 2001, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2008. He completed a clinical internship at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute. Following his internship, he worked for University of Utah Healthcare in the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Clinic for four years, obtaining a licensure as a Psychologist in 2009. In 2012, he was hired at the Brigham Young University Counseling and Psychological Services, and currently serves as an Associate Clinical Professor and Group Coordinator for CAPS. He currently lives in Orem, Utah with his wife, three children, and one cat.
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Mental Health: Self Care & Seeking Help--Jon Cox Concrete suggestions on how to care for your mental health, including skills you can use on your own, as well as when and how to reach out to others for help. |
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Cagney smullen
Cagney Anne Smullin is in her 15th year of working for nonprofits. Her professional experience is in public event management in Zoo’s and Aquariums, but she also has experience with small local non-profits like the 9th West Farmers Market where she was a board member and the market manager. She enjoys working for non-profits and it was one of the driving forces that caused her to pursue an MPA degree.
While working for for Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Cagney successfully planned, organized and executed Hogle Zoo’s hosting of the 2015 Annual Zoo and Aquarium Conference for 2,000 attendees. She's an Administrative Manager for the College of Social Work and a member of the University of Utah Course Materials Team.
Her current focus is on disability rights and services. Her daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 2 in 2014. Since then she has learned a lot about her needs and the needs of people with disabilities. In that time she also discovered that she is autistic and was diagnosed at age 32. People with disabilities and differences are vastly under-served and unseen in our community and she hopes to use her education and experience to raise awareness and create resources. She created a program called Hiring the Spectrum, an online employer training for autism inclusion. I created this training as part of my MPA degree and am currently researching its effectiveness.
Cagney spends her limited free time playing with her daughter and creating new sensory experiences for her (she’s a sensory seeker), maintaining a Little Free Library for her neighborhood, and making weighted blankets to donate or sell for cost to other autism families, building Halloween displays in her yard, and watching movies with her husband.
While working for for Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Cagney successfully planned, organized and executed Hogle Zoo’s hosting of the 2015 Annual Zoo and Aquarium Conference for 2,000 attendees. She's an Administrative Manager for the College of Social Work and a member of the University of Utah Course Materials Team.
Her current focus is on disability rights and services. Her daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 2 in 2014. Since then she has learned a lot about her needs and the needs of people with disabilities. In that time she also discovered that she is autistic and was diagnosed at age 32. People with disabilities and differences are vastly under-served and unseen in our community and she hopes to use her education and experience to raise awareness and create resources. She created a program called Hiring the Spectrum, an online employer training for autism inclusion. I created this training as part of my MPA degree and am currently researching its effectiveness.
Cagney spends her limited free time playing with her daughter and creating new sensory experiences for her (she’s a sensory seeker), maintaining a Little Free Library for her neighborhood, and making weighted blankets to donate or sell for cost to other autism families, building Halloween displays in her yard, and watching movies with her husband.
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Creating Autism Inclusive Work Spaces--Cagney Smullen, AutCon 2019 Sometimes knowing what you need can be difficult, especially in the workplace. Learn about accommodations and policy changes that can make life in the workplace easier for autistic people (and benefit everyone). |
About the Event
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BY AUTISM FOR AUTISM
This one-of-a-kind convention is designed by adults on the autism spectrum, to support both professional and personal networking, to provide accurate information, and to highlight services and resources available in the community. Presenters and panelists on the spectrum, share their knowledge and personal experiences in an autism-friendly setting. Presenters, panelists, & audio-visual staff are volunteers. Help make AutCon possible - Click Here to Donate |
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Wanna Present at AutCon?
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
SUPPORT THIS UNIQUE EVENT
ScenicView Academy is a 501 (c) (3) public charity, all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. (Fed Tax I.D. Number 20-3604973)
- Gold Sponsors ($5000 or more) will receive logo placement on all advertising leading up to the event, signage and verbal recognition at the event, logo placement in event program and on event T-shirt
- Silver Sponsors ($2000) will receive verbal recognition at the event, logo placement in event program and on event T-shirt.
- Friend of ScenicView Academy ($500) will receive logo placement in event program and on event T-shirt.
ScenicView Academy is a 501 (c) (3) public charity, all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. (Fed Tax I.D. Number 20-3604973)
For more information contact: |
To become a sponsor contact: |
