Below are some of my past speaking engagements discussing Advocacy and Inclusion for Non-Speaking Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. At this conference held at Stanford University, I presented on a panel discussion focused on Communication as a Human Right. (September 2025).

Penn State AAC Doctoral Student Research Think Tank. This conference brought together interested faculty, doctoral students, and people who use AAC to discuss current and future research in AAC. (May 2025).

Future of AAC Research Summit. The Summit brought together a group of 120 AAC users, academic researchers, federal funding agencies, developers, and service providers, with the goal of identifying new research priorities and supporting new collaborations. I presented on the topic of reducing social isolation for people who use AAC. (May 2024).

American Educational Research Association Co-Presenter: Decolonizing Disability Research through AAC User-Led Inquiry. (April 2024).

ARC of King County.  One of three panel participants in a 90-minute virtual event entitled “Non-Speaking Autistics Speak: Unmasking the Rhetoric of Severe Autism, a Disability Justice oriented panel featuring local and national non-speaking Autistic people and those who support them.” (February 2021).

TASH Annual Conference – A leading international organization for disability advocacy. (Virtual Event December 2020). 

• Panel participant in a session “Communication and Self-Determination for Everyone”

• Co-Presenter of a session entitled: “Wearable Technology plus Video Review: Physiologic Data Strengthens Communication Supports”

CAST UDL Symposium: UDL Rising.  CAST is a nonprofit education research and development organization that created the Universal Design for Learning framework and UDL now used the world over to make learning more inclusive. (Virtual Event August 2020).

• Co-Presenter:  Autism, UDL & Equity: Learner’s Voice on Inequities and Designing for Inclusion (Grant Blasko & Michael McSheehan)

TASH Annual Conference – A leading international organization for disability advocacy. (Scottsdale, AZ, December 2019). 

• December 5, 2019: Presented as part of a panel in a workshop titled, “Communication Access is a Social Justice Issue” (Link)

• December 7, 2019: Co-presented a session titled, “Wearable Technology Informs More Empathetic and UDL-Focused Inclusive Practices” (Link)

AutCom National Conference (Concord, NH, November 2019). (Link)

• Co-Presenter of a Keynote titled, “Give the Kids a Break! For Students with Complex Communication Needs, Universal Design for Learning Provides Stress Relief and Equitable Access to Education” 

• Panelist on a general session entitled, “Everyone Has the Right to Communicate”   

University of Washington – Autism Panel for School of Psychology (Seattle, March 2019).

University of Washington – Autism Panel for School of Education (Seattle, January 2019).

TASH Annual Conference (Portland, November 2018).  Presented a communication workshop highlighting strategies for independent school communication and inclusion. (Link)

Precision Learning Conference (Seattle, November 2018).  Presented my perspective on the use of behavioral-based precision teaching strategies to support AAC users.

Cal Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, CA, July 2018).  Presented my strategies for developing independent communication and inclusion as a non-speaking autistic person.

Motormorphosis Conference – Advocacy organization focused on the non-speaking community. (Fairfax, VA, June 2018).  Delivered a keynote presentation highlighting my efforts to become an independent communicator.

Honestly Autism Day (Baltimore, MD, April 2017).  Presented with Dr. John Hussman during his keynote presentation regarding communication and inclusion.

Towson University – Student Forum discussing Special Education/Autism (Towson, MD, April 2017).  Introductory Webinar followed by a lecture on communication strategies for non-speaking autistics.

Rethinking Autism Conference (Evanston, Illinois, August 2016).  Participated in a panel discussion to explain the perspective of a non-verbal autistic person.

Syracuse University Institute on Communication and Inclusion (Columbia, MD, June 2016).  Keynote: Typing For Life: Forging Connections Across Generations of Typers.

International Meeting for Autism Researchers (IMFAR) (Baltimore, May 2016). Self-Advocacy Panel – Lisa Crabtree, Ph.D., O.T.R./L Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, Moderator. 

AutCom (Autism National Committee) 25th Anniversary National Conference (Manchester, NH, July 2015). 

• “Human Rights for All” The Psychology and Neuroscience of Typing: Transitions along the Path to Independence (presenters: Cynthia and Grant Blasko)

• “My Right to a Quality Education: Students Speak Out!”  Mary Schuh, Moderator; Grant Blasko, Henry Frost, Mary Quintanilha and Emma Zurcher-Long

Imagination Stage Gala (Bethesda, MD, February 2015).  Presented a keynote regarding the Artability special needs summer arts program at the annual Imagination Stage fundraiser (Video Link).

Syracuse University Institute on Communication and Inclusion (Syracuse, NY, June 2014). Panel participant presenting Montgomery County Public School’s Communication Pilot program.