Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™) is pleased to host the Autism Acceptance Month Miniseries.
View Our 2026 Miniseries
April 2, 2026: AAC in Action: Lived Experiences and Professional Insights for Autism Acceptance Month
This session offers valuable, real-world insights for families and professionals on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The session features:
- Introduction to the fundamentals of AAC
- A parent who will share their family’s personal journey with AAC
- Q&A between the parent and the speech-language pathologists
April 9, 2026: Autism Medical FAQ: What Parents Ask and What Doctors Think
Navigating medical care after an autism diagnosis can feel overwhelming for families and clinicians. Appointments are short, information is complex, and many of the most important questions don´t always get asked or answered.
In this candid, conversation-style webinar, a pediatric neurologist and a parent of a child with autism come together to ask each other the questions that matter most. Drawing from lived experience and medical expertise, they explore how families can better understand diagnoses, co-occurring medical conditions, treatment decisions and the realities of navigating a complex healthcare system.
April 16, 2026: A Neurodiversity-affirming Framework for Behavioral Supports
Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Cross will provide an overview of a neurodiversity-affirming approach to understanding and supporting behaviors that interfere with an individual's quality of life, such as tantrums and aggression. She will also address parents' frequently asked questions about accessing and using behavioral supports.
April 23, 2026: Practical Measures for Managing Elopement and Wandering
Elopement and wandering are high level safety concerns for many families of autistic individuals. This presentation will aim to identify and address some precursors/triggers, prevention strategies, and action plans for management. This includes safety skills, behavior planning, community involvement, and other resources designed to keep individuals safe.
Autism Acceptance Month Miniseries Archive
2025
April 3, 2025: Supporting Autistic Individuals’ Strengths
Learn how to identify and support the unique strengths of autistic individuals with Laura Coleman, Dr. Rebecca Landa and Dr. Jacob Michaelson. Discover how these strengths can boost self-image, self-efficacy and self-advocacy in education and beyond.
April 10, 2025: Autism Advocacy Panel Discussion
This session broadly explores the multidimensional aspects of autism advocacy, barriers and facilitators to equitably accessing appropriate services and support, and the important role of community-based groups, networks and organizations in fostering connection and support. Hear from Ebony Holliday, Taya Dunn Johnson, Katie York and Missy Alexander.
April 17, 2025: Understanding Reinforcement for Skill Development
Bonnie Van Metre clarifies the concept of reinforcement and how it can be used to teach new skills, support self-regulation and positive behavior, and address challenges in children with autism.
April 24: Autism and Vision Impairment
Dr. Kelly Shepherd discusses the challenges of diagnosing autism in children with vision impairment and shares treatment strategies to support blind autistic children.
2024
The State of Education for Autistic Students - A Community Conversation (04/04/2024)
Experiences with Adult-Life Planning (04/11/2024)
Making Sense of Sensory Processing (04/18/2024)
Supporting Behavioral and Emotional Regulation (04/25/2024)
2023
The Autism Experience - Through the Eyes of a Family with Three Diagnosed Members (04/06/2023)
Optimizing Autistic Children’s Educational Experience: Family and Teacher Collaboration (04/13/2023)
Complex Autism: Addressing High Support Needs (04/20/2023)
Autism Health Communication with Medical Providers (04/27/2023)
2022
Autism: An Evolving Perspective (Panel 1)
Briefing on Innovative Autism Research at CARD (Panel 2)
Click Here to Download the Handouts
Evidence-Based Insights into Medical, Genetic and Psychiatric Conditions and Care in Autism (Panel 3)
Autistic Adults and Employment (Panel 4)