9th Annual Southeast Adult Autism Symposium
2025 Speaker Information

Amy Boulware, LAP MSW, Rebecca Miller CELA, Dub Ellis, LMSW

Special Needs Planning: Ensuring a Smooth Transition

 

Description: Our team will discuss the importance of special needs planning including information about ABLE Accounts, Special Needs Trusts, Conservatorships and Public Benefits.

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Speaker Biography: TBA

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Claire Kraft

Mentorship Matters

 

Description: Mentorship is a powerful process of guidance and mutual empowerment. A mentor, a trusted counselor, provides wisdom and direction, often in professional settings like school or work. Effective mentorship begins with research, thoughtful communication, and a willingness to go deep. It fosters growth, confidence, and stronger networks while sharpening soft skills like communication and boundary setting. Through mentorship, both mentor and mentee gain wisdom and purpose, creating a cycle of mutual benefit.

 

Speaker Biography: Claire is an autistic adult.

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Stewart Lee, MS AgEd, PHD (ABD)

Survival Algorithms: Lessons Learned as an Undiagnosed AuDHD Student Through an AuDHD Educator From the Inside

 

Description:  As a gifted but undiagnosed Autistic/ADHD student, I learned unspoken survival tactics to mask my neurodivergence and fit into family and societal expectations. This session examines how these strategies shaped my education, professional life, and eventual burnout as an educator. Attendees will explore how systemic ableism impacts neurodivergent individuals and discuss actionable steps to create supportive environments where authenticity is celebrated over conformity.

 

Speaker Biography:  Stewart Lee is an autistic adult and former education professional with over a decade of experience teaching and leading in South Carolina public schools. As a district administrator, he managed programs supporting diverse student needs, including gifted education, student with accommodations, general education, and the teachers and staff from Kindergarten to High School. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD as an adult, Stewart advocates for neurodivergent inclusion, sharing his personal journey to help others foster authentic and supportive environments.

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Conya Mull, BS, CQL POM Interviewer Certification

ECF Choices Program Overview

 

Description:  Employment & Community First CHOICES the right care, in the right place at the right time. TennCare Employment & Community First CHOICES is a program for all people of all ages who have:
- An intellectual disability that started before the age of 18.
_ A developmental disability that started before the age of 22.
ECF CHOICES helps members become more independent at home and in the community. The program helps members learn new skills and look for work.

 

Speaker Biography:  I have a rewarding career of 20+ years serving youth and adults with disabilities. Since 2017 until present I have had the privilege of working with the intellectual and developmental population in the arena of Employment and Community First CHOICES (ECF) as a Member Advocate for the East TN Region. As a Advocate, I serve as the point of contact for individuals who are receiving TennCare services through the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee. This may include activities such as Navigation through the Health plan, Community Outreach, Social Determents of Health, Community Resources, Transition, ECF Advisory Board and Community Forum Meetings, Self-Advocacy and so much more. I currently have the honor to be serving on a state governors appointed committee named "Programs and Services for Persons with Disabilities" formally known as CMRA. I am an active board member for the John T O'Connor Senior Center in Knoxville. It's been my experience that "ALL PEOPLE" want to feel included and wanted, accepted by their peers, and have the opportunity to work towards achieving their goals. For me, there is no greater disability in life, than having the "inability" to see a individual for more.

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Noah Perales, COTA/L

Regulation Beats: Emotion Regulation Through Music Production

 

Description: Emotional dysregulation can significantly impact our health, relationships, and ability to make decisions. These effects are magnified when considering preexisting mental health conditions, adversity, age, and neurodivergence. To cope with emotional challenges, people may turn to unhealthy or maladaptive outlets such as overindulgence in social media, food, drugs, video-games, or alcohol. They might deny, suppress, or avoid their feelings. They may even physically harm themselves or others. Regulation Beats™ provides an intuitive and comprehensive education of what emotions are, how to identify your emotions, and how to influence them. It utilizes occupational therapy principles and music production interventions to leave participants feeling more aware of their thoughts/feelings and more equipped to manage them in a healthy way.

 

Speaker Biography: Noah Perales is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and creator of Regulation Beats™, an emotion/sensory regulation program based on music production. He has worked in the therapy field for 6 years as both and OTA and Behavior Technician. Most of this experience has been with autistic individuals, which fostered his curiosity about emotions. He blends this with his passion for music to approach challenges with a unique, intuitive, and evidence-based set of interventions and ideas.

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Christopher J. Quarto, PhD, PLLC

Masking in Autistic Adults: The Good, Bad and the Ugly

 

Description: Autistic folks are aware of how their way of looking at things are different from their neurotypical counterparts. Getting “weird looks” and negative feedback from people are just a couple of reasons why autistic people mask their true identities, but this comes at a price. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss how masking develops, pros and cons of masking and things to consider before “taking off the mask.”

 

Speaker Biography: Christopher J. Quarto, Ph.D., PLLC is a licensed psychologist in Murfreesboro who conducts psychological evaluations for adults who suspect they are autistic. Evaluations take place in-person or by telehealth. He has provided therapy and assessment services to children, adolescents and adults in community mental health, psychiatric hospital and private practice settings. Dr. Quarto formerly taught in the Professional Counseling program at Middle Tennessee State University and has received numerous teaching and professional awards. He is the host of the popular podcast series, "Adult Autism: A Spectrum of Uniqueness."

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James Siedl & Ivy Varenhorst

Empathy and Empowerment: Understanding and Supporting Autistic Adults

 

Description: Supporting and empowering an autistic adult can be challenging. This session will explore strategies to help your adult child navigate the world more comfortably, emphasize the importance of fostering independence, and encourage self-advocacy. Understanding the world from an autistic perspective can be difficult for neurotypical individuals. Our goal is for you to leave with practical tools and a deeper understanding of the autistic adult in your life.

 

Speaker Biography: James Siedl, born with cerebral palsy, has dedicated his career to disability advocacy. With extensive experience working with nonprofits supporting individuals with disabilities, he offers a unique perspective on how parents can effectively support their autistic children. James holds two bachelor’s degrees—one in Spanish and the other in International Relations—as well as a master’s degree in Human Resources. His diverse educational background and advocacy work enrich his approach to supporting families.

Ivy Varenhorst was diagnosed with autism at the age of 23 and writes a blog about her experiences living as a woman with autism. She holds two bachelor’s degrees—one in Exercise Science and another in Healthcare Management. This marks Ivy’s third presentation at this conference. She currently works in accounts receivable at Johnson & Johnson.

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Emily Walsh, LPC-A

Creating a Safe Haven: Enhancing Autistic Home Environments

 

Description: This presentation explores accommodations, sensory tools, and assistive technology to transform an Autistic person’s home into a supportive, safe haven. By showcasing real-life examples, and practical products, it empowers Autistic individuals, along with their families and caregivers, with actionable solutions to meet sensory and environmental needs.

 

Speaker Biography: Emily Walsh is an Autistic adult and Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in South Carolina. She specializes in mental health therapy for Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent adults. Additionally, she runs The Autism Social Spectrum of Columbia, a monthly social hangout group for Autistic adults. She has worked in the Autism community since 2013, teaching Autistic individuals life skills, presenting all over the United States at conferences on her experience as an Autistic adult and topics related to Autism and independent living, and participated in multiple committees and councils related to advocating for the needs of the disability community.

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​​​​​Nathan Zimmerman, Abigail Jeanette, Karen Weigle

 

Description:  Many autistic people (and people in general!) have difficulty getting out of their routines and having routines interrupted. However, moving outside your comfort zone can lead to multiple benefits. The presenters will discuss some of the benefits of going out of your comfort zone and suggest some strategies, sharing their own stories and successes.

 

Speaker Biography: Nathan Zimmerman is adult with Asperger's. He is the Program Director at the Greater Chattanooga Aspies (GCA). Nathan has been an advocate for himself and others for many years and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this forum.

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