Register now and watch this webinar live or later on demand.  See below for details.

DESCRIPTION: Autism can remain hidden for a long, long time.  Many individuals in their 50s, 60s and beyond, as portrayed by the authors and survey respondents of Older Autistic Adults In their Own Words: The Lost Generation, suspect they may be autistic. They want to know whether it’s a good idea to get a diagnosis and they want to know how to better understand themselves.  

In this webinar, the book’s authors (Wilma Wake, Dr. Eric Endlich, and Rob Lagos) will share:

• Key findings of their study of over 150 autistic adults age 50+ around the world
• Various trends and viewpoints among different generations of autistic individuals
• Some of the personal experiences of older adults they encountered in their study, as well as some of their own

A Q&A segment will follow the presentation. Questions can also be asked in advance via the link in your registration email. Please submit questions by 2/5/23.

SPEAKERS:

Wilma Wake has been a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) for over 40 years. Wilma’s social work practice is devoted primarily to working with older autistic adults, neuro-diverse couples, and with autistic children and their families. She is also a retired ordained minister. In her mid 60’s she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After absorbing this shock, she became active in an autistic adults’ peer support group at AANE, where she is now a co-facilitator. She is committed to helping train other service providers to work with autistic adults. She is also trained and certified as a neurodiverse couples’ therapist by AANE (the Asperger/Autism Network).

Eric Endlich, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, which helps neurodivergent students transition to college and graduate school.  He serves on the Learning Differences/Neurodiversity and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committees of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and received IECA’s “Making a Difference” award for resources he provides such as an autism-friendly college list. He has presented several times at AANE and helped found AANE’s Neurodiverse Couples Institute. He also co-manages a 4,300-member Facebook group, Parents of College Bound Students with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and ASD.   

Rob Lagos is a computer programmer, analyst, and statistician.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA in chemistry and computer science.   He has worked as programmer analyst/developer for a number of organizations throughout New England. For over fifteen years, he has been the head facilitator for the AANE adult support group that meets in Portland Maine. He has been a presenter and co-presenter of numerous talks and workshops dealing with autism at: AANE, Maine Autism Conference, and other events and organizations.  He is a virtuoso classical pianist and has taught adult piano students.

AUDIENCE: This webinar is intended for adults who are or who suspect they are on the spectrum, parents, other family members, and partners of individuals on the spectrum, as well as professionals who support individuals on the spectrum.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2023

TIME: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET – This webinar will be recorded. If you are not available during the live presentation, registrants will receive the video link to access the recording of the presentation two business days after the session ends. Registrants can access the recorded presentation for 30 days.

WHERE: Online via Zoom

HOST: Michele Cantara, Neurodiversity Training Specialist, AANE

COST: $25 (AANE offers discounted admissions using the buttons below)

REGISTRATION: Advanced registration is required.  After you have registered you will receive a confirmation email. Registrants who do not receive the confirmation email should check their email spam folder. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the event. Early registration is highly recommended as many programs fill quickly.

The registration for this event has ended.

EVENT & GROUP INFORMATION: All AANE programming is currently online. The following terms are used for different audience specifications:

• “Open” events/groups may have different participants joining from session to session and “Closed” events/groups have the same participants for a set number of sessions.

CODES OF CONDUCT: Participants at AANE events are expected to act respectfully toward other participants and group facilitators. AANE reserves the right to deny admission to and/or ask individual participants to leave an event. For more information see FAQS.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT: The online platform for the event/program will be listed in the confirmation email from AANE. For assistance with Zoom, please visit the Zoom Help Center prior to the event to become familiar with the platform.

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