Dr. Tony Attwood is a clinical psychologist who has specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He currently works in his own private practice and is also an adjunct professor at Griffith University, Queensland, and senior consultant at the Minds and Hearts clinic in Brisbane. His book Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals has sold over 500,000 copies and has been translated into 27 languages. His subsequent book, The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, published in October 2006 has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into 18 languages, and is one of the primary textbooks on Asperger’s syndrome, otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorder – Level 1. He has several subsequent books published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Future Horizons Inc., and Guilford Press on emotion management, relationships and sexuality, and general advice for autistic children and adults. Tony has been invited to be a keynote speaker at many Australasian and International Conferences. He presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals, and individuals with Asperger's syndrome all over the world and is a prolific author of scientific papers and books on the subject. He has presented several live webinars with his colleague, Dr. Michelle Garnett, which have been recorded and can be accessed via their website at www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com.

Amanda Bailey is a Family Support Specialist with AANE's Child and Teen Services department. Trained as a special education advocate, she has helped families all over the country with their IEPs, 504 plans, and working collaboratively with their school-based teams. Amanda also draws on her knowledge as the parent of two autistic children and direct experience in family support through leadership of her local Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and prior work with Mass Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC).

Kendrick Cronin is a neurodivergent trans man who is currently completing a master's degree in clinical counseling through Southern New Hampshire University. He is passionate about person-centered care and intentional, intersectional inclusivity of folks across the spectrum of humanity. His professional focus is to increase understanding and thus depathologize neurodivergency, transgender experiences, and living with mental illnesses. He currently lives in Minnesota, where he works for BridgesMN in employment services to support disabled people in seeking meaningful employment, and interns at Touchstone Mental Health, a residential treatment facility.

Dena Gassner is the co-chair of the Autistic Researcher Committee (ARC) for the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). She is currently serving on the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD), Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities (CDHPD) a member of the ARC Review Board for the Autism Intervention Research Network in Physical Health (AIR-P) and is a member of the AIR-P Gender, Sexuality and Healthcare Node. She has provided consultative support for two SIGs (Special Interest Groups) for iNSAR and helped to reconstruct how SIGs are done (shifting protocols from lectures to information gathering/networking events). She coordinated this year’s first SIG at INSAR- “Building on the Strengths of Autistic Scholars by Addressing Systemic Barriers to Autistic Success in Academia” Year One with Patrick Dwyer and others. In 1999 she was awarded the Cathy Pratt Professional of the Year Award from Autism Society of America. She spoke as a panelist for the NIMH Autism Awareness Month on girls and women. She’s on the National Board of Directors of the Arc US and has published multiple book chapters and journal articles and her presentations include NYU London, The United Nations (Geneva and US) (autism + aging, disparities for autistic women, and autistic motherhood/reproductive healthcare access) and others.

Dr. Roy Richard Grinker is Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Grinker was born and raised in Chicago where his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father worked as psychoanalysts. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1983 and received his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at Harvard University in 1989. He is the author of Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness (NY: W.W. Norton, January 2021), Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (NY: Basic Books), In the Arms of Africa: The Life of Colin M. Turnbull (Chicago: University of Chicago), Korea and its Futures: Unification and the Unfinished War (NY: St. Martin’s), and Houses in the Rainforest: Ethnicity and Inequality among Farmers and Foragers in Central Africa (Berkeley: University of California). He is co-editor of Perspectives on Africa: Culture, History, and Representation (Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell) and Companion to the Anthropology of Africa (Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell). Grinker was a 2008 recipient of the National Alliance on Mental Illness KEN award for “outstanding contribution to the understanding of mental illness” and the 2010 recipient of the American Anthropological Association’s Anthropology in the Media award for “communication of anthropology to the general public through the media.”

Karen Lean, originally from Canada, lives with her husband in Massachusetts where she works in Healthcare IT. She was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 2009, at the age of 32. Karen Lean brings the perspective of a woman who was diagnosed in her 30's with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Central Auditory Processing Disorder. She represents one of the less-recognized autism profiles: shy, sensitive, compliant, academically strong but socially suffering. Karen speaks about being an autistic female, sensory processing, self-advocacy, intimacy and relationships, mindfulness, and self-esteem.​ ​Her writing appears in the book of essays, Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity.​ Karen is an engaging, seasoned speaker whose sensitivity and deep intellect are readily apparent in her talks. Among her many speaking credits, Karen was a keynote speaker at the Asperger/Autism Network's Spring 2019 Sexuality Conference.

Dr. Meredith Maroney (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and completed her doctoral internship at the University at Albany’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Her research and clinical interests are in the areas of sexual orientation, gender diversity, autism, and intervention development. Specifically, she is interested in understanding and coping with minority stress, as well as the intersection of autistic and LGBTQ+ identities. She co-authored Gender, Sexuality, and Autism, which was honored as the 2021 Distinguished Book of the Year by the Society for Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. She is the Chair for the American Psychological Association's Division 17 Section for the Advocacy of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

Sue Ann Pien identifies as an actually autistic actor who is starring in an upcoming Amazon Original series about three roommates in their 20s who are on the spectrum. For Sue Ann, self-discovery included learning who she is and also who she is not. She found that taking the risk to live as her authentic self brought meaningful connections into her life and meant she could stop working so hard to fit in where she wasn't welcomed anyways. Along with acting, Sue Ann enjoys filmmaking with her singer-songwriter wife, Cynthia Catania, rock climbing, space (the outer kind), and coming up with novel ways to protect Earth's biodiversity.

Dr. Janet Price is a seasoned practitioner in the realm of working with children and families. With over 30 years of experience as an educator previously and psychologist currently, Dr. Price has chosen over time to focus on the process of supporting mental and emotional well-being, including what gets in the way of that process of becoming our best selves. Currently in private practice, Dr. Price’s clients include children and adults on the spectrum.

Dr. Rebecca Sachs is a licensed psychologist and an expert in the top recommended treatments for Anxiety, Autism, and OCD. She believes in empowering individuals and their families with knowledge and skills they can use to not only manage current challenges but to also be ready to handle new problems when they may arise. Dr. Sachs brings warmth, sensitivity, and a strong sense of humor to her work. Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, Dr. Sachs is a sought-after clinician and speaker, regularly presenting at conferences such as the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (ABCT), Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). She has a private practice in New York City (and virtual in the state of NY) and is co-Director of Successful School Transitions, a comprehensive program for school refusal. In addition to these roles, Dr. Sachs is a single mother to an energetic and determined pre-schooler.

Ilia Walsh is the Executive Director at The Spectrum Strategy Group and the creator and host of The Autism In Real Life Podcast. She has over 25 years of experience in training and education working with adults and children. She is currently on the Board of Directors for AANE and served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health. Working alongside clinicians, Ilia has supported single and partnered individuals in seeking deeper connections in their relationships. She has worked with many influential individuals such as Temple Grandin, Tony Attwood, Carol Kranowitz, David & Kristin Finch, Stephen Shore, Becca Lory, Isabelle Hénault, and Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. Ilia Walsh is also like many of you; she is a wife, sister, friend, and mother of two adult children, one of which is on the autism spectrum.

Elise Wulff has been working with the neurodiverse population in both the public and private sectors for over 15 years. With Aspire since 2008, Elise oversees child programming, parent programming, Aspire Works, and related services where participants engage in multi-disciplinary, strengths-based learning. Elise feels strongly and has observed that there is a mutual accountability of neurodiverse individuals and their environments (schools, communities, workplaces) to create safe, inclusive spaces that enhance the potential for success for all involved. In her consultation, prior to joining Aspire, Elise worked as an Inclusion Facilitator for a therapeutic intervention program for students with Asperger’s, NVLD, ADHD, and similar profiles. In collaboration with Aspire, Elise co-wrote a multi-year tiered self-awareness curriculum based on Aspire’s model ‘The Science of Me,’ as well as curricula to address enhancing executive functioning skills and supporting resistant writers. Elise received her undergraduate degree in psychology and theater arts from Emory University and her master’s degree in special education from Lesley University.