The Autism Conference & Expo of Georgia is an annual event that provides an opportunity to share knowledge and resources about support for individuals with autism and their families in Georgia. It represents the collaboration and contributions of an alliance of leading self-advocates, family members, community partners, state agencies and other stakeholders. This conference is an essential component of the Autism Plan for Georgia.

This year’s Autism Conference theme is Cultural Perspectives Leading to Impactful Practices. The theme aims to understand how cultural factors impact the systems and employees that make up autism services in Georgia. “Culture” for this conference is broad and considered through multiple lenses (e.g., identity-based, linguistic, professional, etc.) across the service sector.

We invite caregivers, individuals with autism, teachers, interventionists, clinicians, researchers and administrators to participate. In the spirit of this event, we are partnering with Dr. Annette Cash (Georgia State University’s World Languages & Cultures Department), who will oversee special sessions on the importance of cultural translation for effective autism and disability services and programs.

This year’s keynote speaker is Mrs. Nasra Mirreh, MSW, the founder and CEO of the Refugee Family Assistance Program. Drawing from her personal experience as a mother of an autistic son and her professional expertise as a social worker, Mrs. Mirreh has dedicated herself to meaningful work. She is committed to empowering families of children with autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities by helping them access and connect to essential services.

For more information visit http://cld.gsu.edu/au