INTEGRAL: Adult Autism Conference

media release:  Autistic adults face challenges across the lifespan, often including adapting to employment in young adulthood, developing community in middle adulthood, and complex changes of ability & stress tolerance in older adulthood. The sixth annual INTEGRAL Adult Autism Conference, hosted by the Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin and sponsored by Madison College, will offer helpful insights & community discussion on these issues on Saturday, November 2nd at its first-ever hybrid conference, to be held at the Goodman South Campus of Madison College and via Zoom.

INTEGRAL is Wisconsin’s only adult-autism conference and is hosted by the Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin (ASC). This year is our first hybrid conference, featuring ways to attend both in person and virtually.

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.”

This year's presentations include Employment in Younger Adulthood, with presentations by Gabbie Puma of the UW-Madison Waisman Center and by Robin Kacyn & Julie Opalinski of Aspiritech; Autistic Adult Advocacy & Organizing, with a presentation by Helen Rottier of the UW-Madison Disability Cultural Center; and Autism & Aging, with a presentation by international autism researchers Dr. Hilde Guerts of the University of Amsterdam and Gavin Stewart of King's College London. Each presentation is followed by small & large group discussion.

All stakeholders of the autism community are invited to attend – autistic adults, parents, loved ones, support workers, researchers, clinicians, therapists, educators, social workers, and disability advocates, 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.”

Join us that evening for a post-conference hangout from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at the OutReach LGBTQ Community Center (2701 International Ln #101, Madison, WI 53704). We will also be hosting a Sunday Social the following day, November 3rd, also at the OutReach LGBTQ Community Center from 1:30pm to 6:30pm.

Reduced price tickets are available for people in the Autism community for whom attendance is otherwise a financial barrier.

Please note, registration is two steps: purchasing your ticket, and filling out our registration form. See ticket link for further instruction: https://secure.givelively.org/event/autism-society-of-south-central-wisconsin/integral-adult-autism-conference-2024