The Help Group Summit – Advances and Best Practices in Autism, Learning Disabilities and ADHD will take place on October 25 and 26 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. This year’s conference will feature 30 leading experts in basic and applied research, and evidence-based best practices in assessment, intervention and treatment. Widely recognized for the scope, depth and caliber of its offerings, the Summit is designed for professionals and parents.

The 23rd annual Summit is chaired by The Help Group President & CEO Barbara Firestone, PhD; Peter C. Whybrow, MD, UCLA Semel Institute Director; and Robert M. Bilder, PhD, Chief of Medical Psychology/Neuropsychology, UCLA Semel Institute.

Autism related topics include:

• Keynote: Looking Backward from Adult Outcomes in ASD to Move Forward
• Keynote: Autism and Genetics: What We Know Now and Why It’s Important
• A Visual Roadmap for Teaching Social Skills
• Mindfulness as a Tool to Reduce Caregiver Stress
• Personalization of Interventions for Children with ASD
• The Relationship between the Brain, Behavior and the Microbiome in Autism
• Promises of Innovative Technology for Youth with Autism
• Gender Non-Conforming Youth and ASD
• Effective Pharmacological Treatment Options for Children and Teens with ASD
• How to Expand Friendship Opportunities for Children with Autism and Build Family Resilience
• Sensory Brain-Behavior Relationships in Children with ASD and the Role of Intervention
• Strategies to Strengthen Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Outcomes for Students with ASD in Middle Grades
• With an “Ouch” or Silence: Identifying Medical Conditions in Children with Autism
• Using Multi-Sensory & Artificial Intelligence to Teach Speech and Language for Autism
• Enhancing Children with Autism Through Music: From Neuroscience to Quality of Life
• Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities for Young People with Autism: Understanding Impacts on Diverse Families’ Access to Care
• How Animals Can Help Children Learn in School

Keynote speakers include Jack M. Fletcher, PhD; Stephen Hinshaw, PhD; Catherine Lord, PhD; and Matthew State, MD, PhD. A full list of presenters is available at www.thehelpgroupsummit.org

The Major Sponsor of this year’s Summit is First 5 California, and Media Sponsors are NBC4, and L.A. Parent.

ABOUT THE HELP GROUP
Founded in 1975, The Help Group is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit of its kind in the United States serving children, adolescents and young adults with special needs related to autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delays, abuse and emotional challenges. www.thehelpgroup.org