Practical Strategies and Early Support
Hosted by
University of Florida Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UF CARD)
and UF Health Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment (UF Health CAN)
Dates
Day 1: School Showcase
Friday, July 25, 2025
9AM – 4PM
Day 2: Early Identification
Saturday, July 26, 2025
9AM – 1PM
Location
Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center
2142 Shealy Drive
Gainesville, FL 32608
Directions and Map
About the Conference
This FREE two-day conference will consist of sessions focused on supporting students with autism and related disabilities in the classroom on Friday and research on early identification and diagnosis on Saturday.
Target Audience
Educators, Researchers, Administrators, Professionals, Individuals with ASD and RD, Researchers, & Family Members
Conference Description
The Autism & UF Conference is an annual conference aimed at providing high quality learning sessions to a variety of professionals, including educators, researchers, mental health counselors, psychologists, occupational, physical, and speech therapists, physicians, researchers, and caregivers involved in the lives of individuals with ASD and RD. This event will consist of two days of sessions on education-related topics and early identification and diagnosis.
Agencies
Representatives from Florida Department of Education funded projects focused on students with disabilities will be present on Friday, July 25, 2025, from 9am-4pm. They will share information about their projects and ways they can support educators and families.
Poster Session
Poster presentations will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 12-1pm.
CEUs & In-Service Credit
Everyone can receive a certificate of attendance for the time they attend the conference. We will have forms for therapists to use to document their hours. However, we are not a CEU provider for ASHA, the BACB or other CEU accrediting organizations.
Teachers, be sure to contact your ESE District Staff or Staff Development Contact to determine the process for receiving credit.
Schedule
| Time | AGENDA |
|---|---|
| FRIDAY, JULY 25 | Visit the Agencies all day! |
| 8:00 – 8:45 | Registration/Check-in |
| 8:45 – 9:00 | Welcome |
| 9:00 – 9:50 | Loni Carter, MOT, OTR/L Handwriting Development: Setting Realistic Expectations at Every Age |
| 10:00 – 10:50 | Amber Wiggins, Teacher PEPSA Professional Learning – No Excuses, Just Learning |
| 11:00 – 11:50 | Raevynn Ramsby, Teacher Cultivating a Culture of Awareness and Support of Students with Disabilities in Heterogeneous Settings |
| 11:50 – 1:00 | Lunch break on your own |
| 1:00 – 1:50 | Teresa Pinder, MLS/AT, OTR, ATP Alternative Pencils, Writing Strategies and Tools |
| 2:00 – 2:50 | Rachel Kaplan, PhD, BCBA Quick Strategies That Work: Practical Supports that Promote Positive Behaviors |
| 3:00 – 3:50 | Justice and Autism in Motion (JAM) Club @ PKY When Curiosity Meets Action (and Everyone Has a Seat at the Table): A Panel with JAM Club |
| SATURDAY, JULY 26 | |
| 8:00 – 8:45 | Registration/Check-in |
| 8:45 – 9:00 | Welcome |
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Ami Klin, PhD The Crisis of Access to Early Diagnosis of Autism and Emerging Solutions |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Kerri Peters, PhD, BCBA-D UF Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment: Updates and future directions |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Poster Session |
Accommodations
We strive to host accessible events that enable all individuals living in our catchment area* to engage fully. To request accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Dr. Danielle Liso at 352-265-2241 or card-training@ufl.edu.
*Counties Served by UF CARD: Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee, Union
If you live in a different county in Florida, find your CARD here.
For more information contact:
Danielle Liso
card-training@ufl.edu
352-265-2241