Jastyn Wallace (she / they) is a neurodivergent licensed social worker, program coordinator for the Ace! program, and clinical research coordinator at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center. She supports Autistic college students in developing executive functioning, academic, social, and advocacy skills as well as helping to build employment skills. Jastyn earned her Master of Social Work from OSU in 2022 and is a LEND fellow. Before getting her MSW, she worked in her local school district as a lead paraprofessional in an elementary and high school setting. During her time there, she developed a strong passion for helping Autistic and individuals with other disabilities learn to advocate for themselves and support them in building self-determination. Jastyn supports and follows the social model of disability and neurodiversity and incorporates them into her parenting of her own Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent sons. She has worked in the disability field for over 10 years and has experience with a wide variety of physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, but specializes in autism and ADHD. In her free time, Jastyn enjoys reading, Legos, and spending time with her two young boys and her husband.

Tori Kaufman (they/them/theirs) prefers that people get to know their unique experience organically; but to simplify their experience they identify as trans, white, nonbinary, autistic, ADHD, neurodivergent, disabled, and neuroqueer. While they do not speak for their communities, they draw from their lived experiences and their communities when sharing their perspectives. Tori has a strong interest in community building and has created clubs in every school they've attended. They currently run, build, and moderate Discord servers for neurodivergent communities in their free time and aim to bring the insights they have gathered from these communities into their advocacy work. Tori has also served as a consultant and editor for a Masters of Social Work capstone project called Neurolingo: Cross-Neurotype Social Skills, which advocates for neurotypical people to learn Autistic social skills in order to lessen the emotional burden on neurodivergent folks. They are currently the Treasurer of the Autistic Students Union at Ohio State University, a club that provides support by and for the autistic and neurodivergent community. Tori has also been on advisory boards for the Rhonda Weiss Center for accessible IDEA data, and Autism Self Advocacy Program (ASAP), and met with company representatives at JP Morgan Chase to share insights into accommodating and educating autistic people. Tori is passionate about improving college graduation rates for autistic people, educating disabled individuals about their rights, and promoting peer support and advocacy within the neurodivergent and queer communities.

Bio: Ben VanHook is an autistic master's student pursuing a degree in public policy at George Mason University with an emphasis in education policy. He has extensive disability advocacy experience, having spoken at the United Nations, the Global ADHD Summit, and colleges around the United States such as Stanford University to John Hopkins University. Ben has also worked across research teams involving the autistic community at University of California at Los Angeles – Riverside, University of Massachusetts – Boston, and George Mason University. His areas of expertise include autism, disability, neurodiversity, education, and employment.

Abstract: Good Intentions are Not Good Enough

This study explored the lived experiences of autistic students throughout their K-12 education within a community-based participatory research framework. Guided by constructivist grounded theory, the study team analyzed interviews across 19 adults (mean age = 22 years; range = 16-43 years). The study found several systemic and environmental barriers preventing students from realising and reaching their full potential, with key themes including erasure, conformity, and the punishing of self-advocacy efforts. Discussion will also include the importance and benefits of community-based participatory research methods as a means of integrating autistic and neurodivergent perspectives.

Title: How to be an Anti-ableist Clinician: from Ethics to Equitable Practice

Abstract:

Adapted from the presenter’s recently published book chapter, “How to be an Anti-Ableist Clinician” is a call to align with our ethical guidelines by identifying and challenging ableism in oneself and in larger systems like education and healthcare. Using core tenets in the interdisciplinary field of Critical Disability Theory, specifically DisCrit, a clear framework is introduced to guide anti-oppressive communication for disabled people and their allies. Using examples from historical accounts and narratives of people with mental health conditions, this presentation unearths the centrality of this often-overlooked facet of equity and inclusion for clinicians and educators  It encourages further analysis of universal design for learning and multicultural therapy modalities as possible methods to catalyze ethical disability advocacy in mental health care and beyond.

Bio:

Janelle Johnson, MA, LMFT-S is a private practice owner, consultant, and doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology at North Carolina State University. The first Black President of the NC Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, she identifies as a Black, multiply neurodivergent, multiply disabled woman whose greatest passion is supporting neurodivergent leaders and their families. Her research focus is understanding and amplifying lived experience at the intersection of race and disability in higher education and healthcare. In her free time, Janelle loves eating at great restaurants, hiking with her family, and watching Korean dramas.