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9659 Self-Advocate Panel: A Discussion on Love & Relationships on the Autism Spectrum

Thursday, July 13, 2017: 2:15 PM-3:30 PM

Room: 102C (Wisconsin Center )

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Have you ever fallen in love? People with autism can sometimes have difficulties achieving and maintaining a successful relationship. During this panel discussion you’ll hear first-hand experiences from several self-advocates who have navigated love on the spectrum. Affection, romance and sexuality will be discussed followed by a Q&A period.

Panelists are comprised of several self-advocates who all have had a history of presenting on topics in relationship to love & autism. Our moderator, Stephen M. Shore M.A. an internationally known speaker who has autism himself has an extensive history of discussing this topic as well. This presentation will be broken into two parts.

The first part will start with each panelist receiving several minutes to discuss their own personal experiences with love & autism after being introduced by our moderator. These experiences will include discussions on affection, romance, sexuality and much more in relationship to love on the spectrum. "Along with sharing their own experiences, each panelist will include strategies for talking about sexuality/relationships, teaching dating skills, how to maintain a relationship/marriage, and much more."

The second part will comprise of a Q&A where we will encourage questions from the audience focused on this topic.

Learning Objectives:

Participants prepare questions for a panel comprised of self-advocates who have vast knowledge in the topic discussed.
Participants discover information about love & relationships to inform others in their communities about those on the autism spectrum.
Participants identify myths associated with autism when it comes to being in relationships from the perspective of those on the spectrum.

Track: Life Stage 4 - Adulthood

Content Area: Social Connections

Presenters:

Anita Lesko, BSN, RN, MS, CRNA
Global Autism Consulting Organization

Diagnosed with Autism at age 50, Anita graduated from Columbia University in 1988 with a Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia, working FT for over 29 years as a Nurse Anesthetist. Anita spoke at the United Nations for World Autism Day 2017. Author, speaker, blogger, she’s married to her autistic husband Abraham.

Lindsey A. Nebeker, B.A.
Autism Society of America

Lindsey Nebeker is a musician/artist and presenter diagnosed with autism. She holds a BA in Music Technology and is a Partners in Policymaking alumna. Lindsey has appeared in Glamour, Good Morning America, NPR, and the award-winning documentary Autism in Love (which aired on PBS and the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival).

Amy Gravino, M.A., CAS
A.S.C.O.T. Coaching, LLC

Amy Gravino is a Certified Autism Specialist and president of A.S.C.O.T. Coaching. Ms. Gravino is an autism consultant, college coach, speaker, and author. She has her Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University and has served on the boards of Autism Speaks and the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation.

Stephen M. Shore, Ed.D.
Special Education
Adelphi University

Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" & "too sick" for outpatient treatment Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Non-verbal until four, with support from parents, teachers and his wife, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University focusing on matching best practice to needs of autistic individuals.

Kerry Magro, M.A.
KFM Making a Difference

Kerry Magro is an international speaker, best-selling author of 4 books, movie consultant of 2 films, non-profit founder that has given over 35 scholarships for students with autism to attend college and has spoken at over 700 events in the past 7 years about his life on the autism spectrum.

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