Conference Co-Chairs
Michael Alessandri, Ph.D.
Clinical Professor & Executive Director University of Miami- Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
Marlene Sotelo, Ed.D.
Els for Autism Foundation, Chief Operating Officer
Welcome & Closing Remarks
Marvin R. Shanken
Co-Founder of the Els for Autism Foundation | Publisher & Founder of M. Shanken Communications
Speakers
Jill Brookner
Director, DMF Employment, Inc.
Speaker Bio
Jill Brookner, Employment Project Director, DMF Employment Opportunities holds an Ed.S. in Guidance and Counseling, a Master’s in Administration and Supervision, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Special Education. She brings 40 years of experience and advocacy in the special education field, in both the public and private sector.
Jill was employed with Miami Dade County Public Schools for 36 years as a special education teacher, behavior management teacher, educational specialist, and instructional supervisor of programs for students with intellectual disabilities, physical impairments, assistive technology, and transition services which serves approximately 12,000 transition-aged students with disabilities per year. Her team created inclusive and innovative transition programs throughout the county in locations such as Zoo Miami, Miami International Airport, Cities of Miami and Hialeah, and Florida International University.
As Director of DMF Employment, she brings her history of passion and advocacy for those with unique abilities with a reinforced commitment to employment equity and inclusive practices in the workplace.
Lileana (Lily) de Moya
Founder and CEO/President, The de Moya Foundation
Speaker Bio
Lileana (Lily) de Moya is a longtime advocate for the rights of children and young adults with disabilities. She is a registered nurse with a M. S. in Special Education, from the University of Miami (UM) and has extensive training in the fields of special education and disabilities. She held consultant positions with Florida International University (FIU), and UM School of Law; and founded Project Panther LIFE: a college transition program for students with intellectual disabilities at FIU.
Currently, Mrs. de Moya is the founder and CEO/President of The de Moya Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable trust that is committed to creating employment opportunities for young adults with unique abilities by building long term partnerships with the employers and providing support for the employees while fostering hope, confidence, and independence to ensure successful employment outcomes and community inclusion.
Mrs. de Moya has a history of service to Miami-Dade. She was appointed to The Children’s Trust Board in 2011, served as chair of the Program Services/Childhood Health Committee and vice-chair until 2018, FIU College of Education Dean’s Advisory Council, the State Advisory Committee for the Education of Exceptional Students, the UM Mailman Center for Child Development Advisory Committee, the FIU Special Education Advisory Board. She was awarded the “Henry Bandier C.A.M.P for Justice Fellowship” by the UM Children’s Youth and Law Clinic for her work with children and young adults with disabilities in foster care. She has two sons, Jorge and Alex. Alex has very unique abilities and is the engine that keeps the train moving.
Tom D’Eri
COO/Co-Founder, Rising Tide Car Wash
Speaker Bio
Tom D’Eri is a Co-Founder and the COO of Rising Tide Car Wash, a social enterprise that employs over 80 individuals with autism in a successful car wash business. Through his experience with Rising Tide, Tom has seen first-hand the transformative business advantages that occur when a business commits to employing and empowering neurodiverse talent.
Tom is also the Co-Founder of Rising Tide U an organization dedicated to teaching others how to harness the autism advantage. In partnership with University of Miami and the Taft Foundation, Tom created The Autism Advantage, the first step-by-step online course that’s designed to help parents learn how to build sustainable social enterprises that employ their loved ones with autism. As of September 2020, Tom’s students have created over 145 jobs for people with autism in 21 businesses.
Tom is a recognized thought leader in the autism employment field, speaking at Fortune 500 companies, international conferences, leadership development programs and universities. His articles have also been published in the Huffington Post and Autism on the Mighty. He also sits on the Autism @ Work Roundtable at Disability:IN.
Tom is a Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur, a summa cum laude graduate of Bentley University in Finance and Economics and an Uncharted Global Fellow.
Tom deeply believes that all people have the potential to contribute to society and that businesses can improve their market position by committing themselves to unleashing this potential.
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University
Speaker Bio
Dr. Temple Grandin is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She had no speech until age four and had all the symptoms of autism. At age 2 ½, she received intensive speech therapy and was taught how to take turns at games. Her mother knew how to “stretch” her slightly outside her comfort zone to try new things. She was always given a choice of different new things to try. In a small elementary school, she thrived because her mother and the teachers worked together as a team. The rules were the same at both home and school. Both her mother and her teachers developed her ability in art, and she was encouraged to draw many different things instead of the same horse head. In high school, she was bullied but she had friends who had shared interests in horses, model rockets, and electronics. Her interest in cattle started when she visited her aunt’s ranch as a teenager. She earned her Ph.D. in animal science in 1989 from the University of Illinois, and during her career, she has done research on cattle behavior and animal welfare. Her designs for cattle handling facilities are used around the world by many major companies. She also developed an objective scoring system for assessing animal welfare at meat companies, and she implemented its use by McDonald’s Corporation, and Wendy’s International, and other major meat buyers.
In 2010 HBO made a movie about her life that won seven Emmy Awards. Other achievements are a TED talk and being named one of Time Magazines most influential people in the Heroes category. She had two books on the New York Times Bestseller List. They are Animals in Translation and Animals Make us Human. She has authored fifteen other textbooks and popular books on autism, animal behavior, livestock handling, and animal welfare. In 2015 she received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the OIE World Animal Health Organization and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. In 2017, she was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame.
Sheila Hills
Senior Human Resource Manager, PGA National Resort & Spa
Speaker Bio
Sheila Hills is the PGA National Resort & Spa Senior Human Resources Manager and oversees the Els for Autism Hospitality Work Experience program for Adult Services. She has worked in the customer service and hospitality industries for over 30 years combined. Sheila has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Management from Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida, and a Human Resources Certification from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
Sheila worked for Delta Airlines for over 20 years where her passion for excellent service started and flourished. This passion continues today at PGA National Resort & Spa where she has worked for over 7yrs. Sheila works in various areas of Human Resources including Training, Recruitment, Onboarding, and special projects.
When the opportunity arose to collaborate with the Els Hospitality Work Experience program “it was a no brainer, of course, we would participate!” She gathered the support of the Managing Director, the Director of Human Resources and the Director of Golf then took on the role as the resort’s point person for the program. Additionally, support was gathered from the department heads of Golf, Stewarding, Housekeeping, and most recently Food and Beverage where the program participants intern. Sheila’s overriding sentiment, that everyone needs a purpose in life, is seen through her continued involvement with the program, which is coming into its 5th year. PGA has benefited from the program by hiring some of the participants who had really shined in their roles as interns in various departments.
As each group has graduated from the program, there is a sense that PGA National Resort & Spa employees have, in some small way, contributed to the participant’s sense of purpose. The new skills learned have helped the participants gain confidence and drive to succeed in their future job search!
Honorable Mike Lake
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin
Speaker Bio
Mike is the Member of the Canadian Parliament for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin and was first elected in 2006. After his re-election in October 2008, Mike was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, a position to which he was re-appointed after the May 2011 election.
On September 13, 2012, Mike was sworn into the Queen’s Privy Council, after being asked by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to serve on a Cabinet Committee tasked with efforts to balance the federal budget. On October 21, 2019, he was re-elected to a fifth term, receiving the highest vote total out of 1,800 candidates, from all parties, across the country.
Prior to entering federal politics, Mike worked for 10 years with the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club where he served as National Accounts Manager, Director of Ticket Sales, and Group Sales Manager. Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the University of Alberta.
Mike has two children, a son Jaden, 24, and daughter Jenae, 21. The Lakes have been active supporters of individuals with disabilities, their families, and disability organizations across the country, and around the world, while sharing their story of life with Jaden, who has autism.
Craig Leen
Director of Judicial Education, George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, and former Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), U.S. Department of Labor
Speaker Bio
Craig E. Leen is the Director of Judicial Education, George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, and the former Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) at the U.S. Department of Labor, after previously serving as Deputy Director and Senior Advisor.
Prior to serving at OFCCP, Mr. Leen was the City Attorney of Coral Gables, Florida, where he was the general counsel and chief legal officer. In that role, he practiced in the areas of constitutional law and civil rights, labor and employment, land use and zoning, ethics, procurement, real estate, construction, code enforcement, and appellate law, including his work on a comprehensive inclusion program for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of government services and employment. Before serving as City Attorney, Mr. Leen was the Chief of the Appeals Section and then the Chief of the Federal Litigation Section at the Miami‐Dade County Attorney’s Office. In these roles, Mr. Leen litigated and provided counsel in numerous legal areas, including on many civil rights matters. Mr. Leen has also worked at several international law firms and served as a law clerk to the HonorableRobert E. Keeton, United States District Judge, District of Massachusetts. Mr. Leen is also admitted to practice law in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia, and is board certified (inactive) by the Florida Bar in City, County & Local Government law.
Mr. Leen has taught courses in various legal subjects on the adjunct faculties at The George Washington University Law School, Florida International University College of Law, and the University of Miami School of Law. He has served as Vice Chair of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee and as Vice Chair of the Florida Appellate Court Rules Committee. Mr. Leen also has served on the Special Education Advisory Board for DC Public Schools and on the constituency board for the University of Miami‐Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.
Mr. Leen received his Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School, graduating as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and having served as a teaching fellow in both Contracts and Torts. Mr. Leen received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Georgetown University, where he majored in both Government and Economics.
Erin Brooker Lozott
Els for Autism Foundation Director of Clinical Services
Speaker Bio
Erin Brooker Lozott, M.S., CCC-SLP, is the Els for Autism Foundation Director of Clinical Services. She has been working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related disabilities, across ages and settings for 20 years. Erin is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Prior to joining the Els for Autism Foundation staff, Erin worked for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Marcus Autism Center as the Community Interventionist Manager, participating in research and educational outreach community-based projects. Erin has co-authored two publications on topics related to autism spectrum disorder and she has presented and consulted extensively on an international level.
Haley Moss
Attorney, Author, Artist, and Autism Advocate
Speaker Bio
Haley Moss made international headlines for becoming the first documented openly autistic attorney admitted to The Florida Bar. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2018 and graduated from the University of Florida in 2015 with her B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Criminology. Haley is a speaker, educator, scholar, and consultant on neurodiversity at work, the Americans with Disabilities Act, autism and disability-adjacent topics.
Haley is working on her latest book, Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers. She is also the author of Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About and A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About. Haley’s work on neurodiversity, autism and disability has also been published in The Washington Post, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Fast Company, and others.
She was appointed to the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, the Florida Bar Journal Editorial Board, the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Diversity & Inclusion. Haley also serves on the constituency board for the University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities and the Board of Directors for Different Brains.
You can find Haley on haleymoss.net.
Jose H. Velasco
Chief Program Manager, Product Engineering & Autism at Work Ambassador, SAP
Speaker Bio
Jose H. Velasco Leads the SAP Autism at Work program in the United States. Mr. Velasco’s 30-year Information Technology career spans private and public sectors and companies ranging from startups to Fortune 50 enterprises. During his tenure of 20 years at SAP, Mr. Velasco has occupied positions in product management, consulting, development, strategy, go-to-market, and diversity functions.
Mr. Velasco participated as a panelist at the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, testified before U.S. Congress on the “Global Challenge of Autism” and collaborated on the topic of Corporate Social Innovation at the World Economic Forum. He has presented the topic of autism in the workplace to private, public, educational, and 3rd sector audiences in conferences around the world. Mr. Velasco was the recipient of the 2015 Employer of the Year Award by the Department of Rehabilitation of the State of California, The Brighter Futures Occupational Wellness Award by the Philadelphia DBHDS, SpArc Philadelphia Employer of the Year Award, on behalf of SAP, the 2015 Arc Catalyst Employer of the Year award and the 2016 Ruderman Family Foundation Best in Business Awards. Through his work at SAP Autism at Work, Mr. Velasco and his team have been featured in more than 1,800 global, national, and local publications and TV/Radio segments including the Wall Street Journal, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC, Fox, Inc. Magazine, and Forbes among others.
In 2016, Mr. Velasco launched the first Autism at Work Summit, a conference series designed to foster collaboration between private and public sectors, academia, government, schools, philanthropists, civil societies, and the autism community with the ultimate purpose of improving opportunities for individuals with autism in the labor market.
Mr. Velasco is a board member of The Arc, the largest national community-based organization in the United States advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Commercialization from McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and B.S. in Computer Science from Tecnologico de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.
Paul Wehman, Ph.D.
Professor of Special Education and Counseling, Director, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Speaker Bio
Paul Wehman, Ph.D. is a Virginia Commonwealth University professor in the School of Education’s Counseling and Special Education. He is the Director of the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment with three NIDILRR funded RRTCs, and also serves as the Director for the VDOE funded Autism Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Center for Transition Innovations (CTI). His background is highly interdisciplinary and he is internationally known for his pioneering work in the beginning of supported employment in 1980, a rehabilitation intervention strategy that has facilitated millions of persons with neurodevelopmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and spinal cord injury in countries all over the world to gain competitive employment for the first time. He has researched, written, instructed, and presented extensively on issues related to the transition from school to adulthood and special education as it relates to young adulthood and employment. His work and research have been published extensively and he is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. His recent awards include VCU’s School of Medicine Distinguished Scholarship Award in 2018 and first-place American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ACRA) Research Award in 2015. Dr. Wehman was recognized as one of the 50 most influential special educators of the millennium by a national survey coordinated by the Remedial and Special Education journal in December 2000. On a daily basis, he works with people with disabilities, policymakers, and professionals related to disability and is active in mentoring undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.
Trudi Zayac
Els for Autism Foundation, Director of Adult Services
Speaker Bio
Trudi Zayac, MSW/MA is the Els for Autism Foundation Director of Adult Services. She has 30 years of executive management experience in the non-profit sector. Trudi earned a dual master’s degree in Social Work from University at Albany and Applied Social Sciences from Binghamton University. Trudi has a broad base of experience directing Day Services and Employment Programs for individuals with a variety of developmental needs. For the past 7 years, she was the Executive Director of Susquehanna Care Corp. a not-for-profit serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Upstate New York. As the Director of Adult Services for Els for Autism, Trudi leads managers and staff in the daily operations of the Adult Services Department. She oversees the development, facilitation, and sustainability of a wide range of innovative, evidence-based services including but not limited to, vocational training, supported employment, independent living training programs, family support, and clinical consultation services to adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Trudi is responsible for assuring the overall quality and effectiveness of all services provided, and for the development and attainment of financial and operational goals.
Panel Day 2
Jacqueline Ortiz-Baerga
Jacqueline Ortiz-Baerga
Speaker Bio
Jacqueline Ortiz-Baerga is an Assistant District Director with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, for the US Department of Labor. She holds over 18 years of civil rights experience, working in the enforcement of the Executive Order 11246, VEVRAA 4212, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. With OFCCP Ms. Ortiz-Baerga has been involved with several high profile cases of discrimination in employment in the areas of compensation, hiring and promotions. In her prior EEO work with the City of Orlando FEPA agency, Ms. Ortiz-Baerga was involved with several EEOC findings in areas of National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Religious Accommodation and Reasonable Accommodation. In addition, Ms. Ortiz-Baerga holds experience in consulting, software implementation and configuration and in higher education. Ms. Ortiz-Baerga volunteers her free time with several community-based organizations, among them, the American Red Cross, from where she received an award in Leadership. She was instrumental in developing the bylaws and articles of incorporation for a non-for-profit organization in Orlando targeting services for individuals with disabilities and their families. Ms. Ortiz-Baerga holds an ADB in Public Affairs from the University of Central Florida, a Masters in Human Resources and Information Systems from Kelly Graduate School of Management of Devry University and a Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma. Ms. Ortiz-Baerga dedicates some of her free time to pain, read, write and enjoying exercise and outside activities with her family.
Valerie Herskowitz
In 2010, Valerie decided to fulfill a desire and studied to become a pastry chef. She trained for two years, with Chef Joseph Scarmuzzi. Upon completion of her baking and pastry studies, she completed the Chocolatier Certification from Ecole Chocolat. During the time that Valerie was practicing her new skills, her son, Blake, an adult with autism, became extremely interested in the pastry and chocolate world as well. In 2013, after Blake had graduated from high school, Valerie and Blake started The Chocolate Spectrum, an artisan chocolate company. In 2014, she introduced The Chocolate Spectrum Chocolatier Training Program in order to include other adults with developmental disabilities. Today they have eight Chocolatiers, some of which are gainfully employed by the company. They make delicious chocolate for all occasions. www.thechocolatespectrum.com
Merrick Egber
Speaker Bio
Merrick Egber started working with the Els for Autism Foundation just a few months before the ribbon cutting of the Els Center of Excellence in 2015! He earned his B.A. in Communication Studies from Florida Atlantic University, with specialized classes on group facilitation, management, and organizing. Currently, he is a member of two boards, APSE and our Els for Autism Advisory Board, and is also busy working as an administrative assistant, assisting all departments in their work. On the side, he is a self-published author who has written numerous works of poetry and song lyrics that are on Amazon.com and Lulu.com and managed to get a few of them recorded as actual songs, which can be found on MerrickEgber.com.
Jim Hogan
Speaker Bio
Jim Hogan is an advocate for change and a strong representative of what is possible for people on the spectrum. A self-taught Computer Scientist at the age of 16, Jim found his passion working in leadership positions in Corporate America. Throughout his career, he has engaged in advocacy and supported HR departments to better understand the needs of neurodiverse employees. Jim has willingly taken on the role of peer mentor and support to many young professionals with autism who are struggling to enter the workforce. With his powerful voice and advocacy for change and acceptance, he has led the way for hundreds of professionals with autism who entered the workforce behind him. Jim currently works as an Innovation Strategist at Google.
Haley Moss
Attorney, Author, Artist, and Autism Advocate
Speaker Bio
Haley Moss made international headlines for becoming the first documented openly autistic attorney admitted to The Florida Bar. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2018 and graduated from the University of Florida in 2015 with her B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Criminology. Haley is a speaker, educator, scholar, and consultant on neurodiversity at work, the Americans with Disabilities Act, autism and disability-adjacent topics.
Haley is working on her latest book, Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers. She is also the author of Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About and A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About. Haley’s work on neurodiversity, autism and disability has also been published in The Washington Post, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Fast Company, and others.
She was appointed to the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, the Florida Bar Journal Editorial Board, the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Diversity & Inclusion. Haley also serves on the constituency board for the University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities and the Board of Directors for Different Brains.
You can find Haley on haleymoss.net.
Ron Sandison
Speaker Bio
Ron Sandison works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of the Autism Society Faith Initiative of Autism Society of American. Sandison has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice, Biblical Wisdom published by Charisma House and Thought, Choice, Action. He has memorized over 10,000 Scriptures including 22 complete books of the New Testament. He speaks at colleges, conferences, autism centers, and churches. Ron and his wife, Kristen, reside in Rochester Hills, MI, with their daughter, Makayla. His website http://www.spectruminclusion.com.
The Inside Scoop | Advisory Board Biographies
Andrew Blitman
Artist
Speaker Bio
Andrew Blitman, who earned his degree in Marine Conservation Science & Policy from the University of Miami, is a local from South Florida who served on the UM-NSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities constituency board from 2011 to 2017. He currently works as a sea turtle specialist for Broward County’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program. He is the author of five books: one comprehensive poetry anthology, three illustrated poetry books written and drawn from the perspective of animals, and a memoir about his December 2012 Birthright trip to Israel. Andrew is also a regular spoken word poetry contributor to open mic nights at the Bailey Contemporary Arts Center in Pompano Beach. To read his works, you can visit his website: andrewblitman.com.
Mike DiMauro
Speaker Bio
Mike DiMauro was diagnosed with autism at the age of 22. Mike graduated from Westfield State University in 2010 with a bachelors degree in liberal studies. Mike also has a driver’s license and has been driving since he was 17. Mike likes to spread autism awareness no matter where he goes. Mike has spoken at the Family Cafe in Orlando, Milestones Autism Conference in Cleveland Ohio, and the Nebraska ASD Network Conference in Omaha Nebraska. Mike is a former Autism Speaks walk committee members for the Central Florida walk.
Mike is currently an Autism Speaks Volunteer Advocacy Ambassador for the state of Florida. When Mike is not spreading autism awareness, he likes to go camping and traveling. Mike is also an UberEats driver since January 2018 and looking at going on a cross country road trip to do UberEats deliveries in all 50 states. Mike is also an involved member with Pioneer Valley Chapter 8 of the North American Family Campers Association based in Springfield Massachusetts. The camping club is the promoters of the Springfield RV Camping & Outdoor Show which Mike and his family volunteers at yearly. Mike also threw out the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays game in 2012.
Jim Hogan
Speaker Bio
Jim Hogan is an advocate for change and a strong representative of what is possible for people on the spectrum. A self-taught Computer Scientist at the age of 16, Jim found his passion for working in leadership positions in Corporate America. Throughout his career, he has engaged in advocacy and supported HR departments to better understand the needs of neurodiverse employees.
Jim has willingly taken on the role of peer mentor and support to many young professionals with autism who are struggling to enter the workforce. With his powerful voice and advocacy for change and acceptance, he has led the way for hundreds of professionals with autism who entered the workforce behind him. Jim currently works as an Innovation Strategist at @google.
Adam Jones
Speaker Bio
Adam Jones believes everyone deserves a chance. Diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, growing up he had a difficult time communicating and engaging in society. At the age of 17, Adam found his passion while watching the movie Seabiscuit which lead him to pursue his calling – working with horses and with people on the autism spectrum.
Today, employed full-time as a Barn Attendant at Madison Fields in Dickerson, MD, Adam is an advocate for employing adults on the autism spectrum and contributes to his community towards autism awareness. He believes that people like him deserve a fighting chance and a way to find their true sense of self-worth. Working with horses has helped him to be a role model for others as he is passionate, serious, and takes tremendous pride in his work. “When people on the autism spectrum see me handling these huge animals,” Adam said, “they think, I can handle it too!”
Kerry Magro, Ph.D.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Kerry Magro is an award-winning professional speaker, best-selling author, and autism consultant to the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher that aired last in Fall 2019. He started professional speaking 9 years ago via the National Speakers Association and has spoken at over 900 events during that time. In addition, Kerry is CEO & President of KFM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided 86 scholarships for students with autism for college and counting since 2011. In his spare time, he hosts a Facebook Page called Kerry‘s Autism Journey that now has 205,000 Facebook followers where he does on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by a diagnosis to break down barriers in our community. His videos have been watched over 35 Million times.
Kerry’s best-selling books Defining Autism From The Heart, Autism and Falling in Love, and I Will Light It Up Blue! have all reached Amazon Best-Seller Lists for Special Needs Parenting. He is based in Hoboken, New Jersey
Paul Morris
Speaker Bio
Throughout his life, with confidence & pride, he has walked to the beat of advocacy, influencing Congress, several major universities, & has had a profound impact on his alma mater, the College Internship Program in Lee, MA, all the while raising funds for research on the science of autism. Paul is from Weston, CT, & currently resides in White Plains, NY.
Stephen Shore, Ph.D.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Stephen Shore is from Massachusetts. A Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education at Adelphi University, Dr. Shore has been tireless on advocacy, with his countless speeches, interviews, presentations (all over the world), and his high positions on many important organizational boards, along with working on many different projects that improve on advocacy.