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Autism Community Network Annual Fall Summit Toward Neuroharmony: Welcome to the Autism Renaissance Keynote Speaker: Elizabeth Torres, PhD Plenary Speaker: Rosemary White, OTR/L October 2, 2026 Tobin Center for the Performing Arts 100 Auditorium Cir, San Antonio, TX 78205 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM Elizabeth Torres, PhD Clinical Scholar, Neurodiversity Ally, and Head of the Rutger's University Sensory-Motor Integration Lab Please find more information on Dr. Torres and ACN Summit 2026, Toward Neuroharmony below. To register for the event, click below. REGISTER Agenda 7:30 - 8:15 AM Registration, Breakfast, and Resource Fair 8:15 - 8:30 AM Opening Ceremony and Introduction 10:00 - 11:15 AM Morning Breakout Sessions Caregiver, Educator, and Clinician Tracks 11:30 - 12:30 PM Lunch & Learn: Experts by Experience Panel 12:45 - 1:30 PM Second Keynote Address 1:40 - 2:40 PM Plenary Address 2:45 - 4:00 PM The Every Voice Matters Panel 4:00 - 4:30 PM Closing Ceremony PENDING APPROVAL PENDING APPROVAL PENDING APPROVAL Autism Community Network is a registered CPE provider for the Texas Education Agency. PENDING APPROVAL ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures PENDING APPROVAL Summit Sessions. KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective Time Presenter/Facilitator 8:15-9:45 AM Elizabeth Torres, PhD Objectives & Disclosures Caregiver Track: AM Breakout Session Listening Differently: How to Honor Your Autistic Child’s Brilliance, Autonomy, and Voice Time Presenter/Facilitator 10:00-11:15 AM Tiffany Hammond Objectives & Disclosures Educator Track: AM Breakout Session: Brains, Behavior, and Belonging Time Presenter/Facilitator 10:00-11:15 AM Rebecca Engle, MEd Objectives & Disclosures Clinician Track: AM Breakout Session: The Movement Sensing Perspective UNPACKED Time Presenter/Facilitator 10:00-11:15 AM Rosemary White, OTR/L Objectives & Disclosures Expertise by Experience: Amplifying Autistic Voices Panel Time Presenter/Facilitator Lunch & Learn - 11:30 AM-12:30 PM TBD Objectives & Disclosures Second Keynote Address: Autism Autonomy: In Search of our Human Dignity Time Presenter/Facilitator 12:45-1:30 PM Elizabeth Torres, PhD Objectives & Disclosures Plenary Address: Supporting Individual Differences While Promoting Relationships through DIR®/Floortime Time Presenter/Facilitator 1:40 - 2:40 PM Rosemary White, OTR/L Objectives & Disclosures The "Every Voice Matters" Panel Time Presenter/Facilitator 2:45-4:00 PM Dr. Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR Objectives & Disclosures Fees. Availability based on venue capacity. Packages are sold on a first come first served basis. Early Bird Registration (July 1-August 15) $125 Regular Registration (August 15 - September 15) $150 Late Registration (September 15-October 2) $175 Caregivers / Adult Autists Scholarships Available $100 Group Rate/Students Email Carrie@acn-sa.org Saturday Clinical Intensive ACN Campus: 535 Bandera Rd. SATX 78228 $150 Polices & Procedures. Accommodations Search Find the full policy here. We strive to create a conference experience that is accessible to all. Our goal is to identify and address any barriers that may prevent full participation, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other relevant legislation. Refunds Search Find the full policy here. We understand that circumstances may change, and you may need to cancel your registration for our conference. Our refund policy is designed to be fair and transparent, ensuring that attendees can plan with confidence. Complaint Policy Search Find the full policy here. We are dedicated to maintaining a high standard of service and support. We encourage attendees to provide feedback and report any concerns or complaints. All complaints will be treated with respect and confidentiality. Sponsors Full list of sponsors and gifts Search For more information on sponsorship opportunities and to join our supporters, click below. Star Additional Information. For questions related to credentialing information and receiving CEUs, scholarships, or any other information not included on this page or the registration website, please reach out to Carrie@acn-sa.org .

The "Every Voice Matters" Panel Time 2:45-4:00 PM Presenter/Facilitator Dr. Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR Back to Course List < Back About the Course This dynamic, interdisciplinary panel brings together speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, parents, and educators to explore the full spectrum of communication methodologies available to ensure that every autistic child can find their "voice." Panelists will discuss: Current Alternative Communication Approaches: An overview of methodologies including spelling-based methods, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), REST, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), and the role of Developmental, Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBIs) The Critical Role of OT in Praxis Support: How occupational therapists address the motor planning challenges—apraxia and dyspraxia—that often underlie communication difficulties, and why this support is essential for successful implementation of any communication method Where the Research Stands: An honest look at the current evidence base for various approaches, emerging research, and what families and professionals should consider when evaluating options Whole Child Development: Why addressing motor praxis is not separate from communication intervention, but foundational to it—and how siloed approaches can leave children without access to their full potential The Communication Partner's Role: How parents, educators, therapists, and peers can become more effective communication partners by understanding the motor and sensory demands placed on the autistic individual Inclusion and Access: Practical strategies for ensuring that communication support extends beyond the therapy room into classrooms, homes, and community settings. Attendees will leave with a broader understanding of the landscape of communication support, a deeper appreciation for the interconnection between motor systems and expressive communication, and actionable guidance for assembling collaborative teams that honor each child's unique path to voice. Objectives: Participants will define and expand upon the definitions of apraxia and dyspraxia. Participants will explain the concept of "Whole Child Development" and its importance to their clinical and educational practice. Participants will explain the connection between communication and motor planning. Various Panelists TBD

Expertise by Experience: Amplifying Autistic Voices Panel Time Lunch & Learn - 11:30 AM-12:30 PM Presenter/Facilitator TBD Back to Course List < Back About the Course In this powerful and deeply personal panel, autistic adults share firsthand accounts of how sensory processing differences and motor praxis challenges shape their daily lives, relationships, and sense of self. Panelists offer authentic insight into experiences often misunderstood or overlooked—such as navigating overwhelming sensory environments, the internal effort behind seemingly "simple" motor tasks, and the gap between what their bodies do and what they intend. This session is designed for a diverse audience—families seeking to better understand their loved ones, clinicians looking to ground their practice in lived experience, educators hoping to create more supportive learning environments, fellow autistic adults finding solidarity and shared language, and community leaders and funders who want to ensure their decisions are informed by those most impacted. Panelists will discuss: How sensory sensitivities and differences affect communication, regulation, and participation The often-invisible challenges of motor planning (praxis) and how they influence daily functioning What support looks like when it honors autonomy rather than demanding compliance Moments of misunderstanding—and what helped bridge the gap What families, professionals, and systems can do differently to create belonging and access Attendees will leave with a deeper appreciation for the diversity within the autistic community, practical insights for more respectful engagement, and a renewed commitment to centering autistic voices in all spaces that affect their lives. Objectives Participants will describe relevant ethical issues related to providing neurodiversity-affirming autism supports in homes, schools, therapy clinics and workplaces. TBD

Educator Track: AM Breakout Session: Brains, Behavior, and Belonging Time 10:00-11:15 AM Presenter/Facilitator Rebecca Engle, MEd Back to Course List < Back About the Course What if behavior isn't something to control...but something to understand? Join Rebecca Engle for a powerful session exploring how nervous system science reshapes the way we think about behavior, connection, and learning. This session challenges compliance-based models and replaces them with something deeper. Student don't need better behavior management systems. They need environments that understand their brains. Objectives Participants will analyze how nervous system functioning influences behavior, connection, and learning in educational and caregiving environments. Participants will evaluate the limitations of compliance-based behavior management models and compare them to neurobiologically informed approaches. Participants will design supportive environments and strategies that align with students’ nervous system needs to foster regulation, engagement, and a sense of belonging. Rebecca Engle, MEd Rebecca Engle is a special education teacher a with a masters degree from Texas Tech University with a deep commitment to ending seclusion and restraint in schools. Making history in Texas politics at 19, she has been a passionate advocate for student rights and inclusive educational policies. As an award-winning children’s book author and neurodivergent public speaker, Rebecca amplifies the voices of marginalized learners and promotes trauma informed, compassionate approaches. Through her teaching, writing, and advocacy, she strives to create safe, supportive environments where every student can thrive without fear.

Clinician Track: AM Breakout Session: The Movement Sensing Perspective UNPACKED Time 10:00-11:15 AM Presenter/Facilitator Rosemary White, OTR/L Back to Course List < Back About the Course In this presentation, Rosemary White, OTR/L brings clarity, depth, and clinical relevance to Elizabeth Torres’s groundbreaking Moving Sensing Perspective in autism. Drawing on her decades of experience in occupational therapy and neurodevelopmental work, Rosemary unpacks Torres’s rich, data driven research and translates complex concepts into practical understanding for clinicians supporting autistic children, adults, and their families. Rosemary bridges theory and practice by explaining how movement, sensation, and nervous system variability offer crucial insights into how autistic individuals experience and respond to the world. She reframes common clinical observations—such as differences in motor control, regulation, attention, and communication—through the lens of self-generated sensory feedback and lived physiological experience, moving beyond behavior-based interpretations. Throughout the talk, Rosemary emphasizes why this perspective matters for everyday clinical decision-making. She explores how understanding individual movement signatures can support more respectful assessment, reduce misinterpretation of intent, and guide interventions that prioritize regulation, safety, and autonomy rather than normalization or compliance. Case examples illustrate how this framework can deepen collaboration with families and empower clinicians to listen to what the body is communicating, not just what is observable on the surface. Objectives Participants will analyze the Movement Sensing Perspective to explain how movement, sensation, and nervous system variability shape the lived experiences of autistic individuals. Participants will interpret clinical observations—such as motor differences, regulation, attention, and communication—through the lens of self-generated sensory feedback rather than behavior-based assumptions. Participants will apply movement-informed assessment and intervention strategies that prioritize regulation, safety, and autonomy while enhancing collaboration with families. Rosemary White, OTR/L Rosemary White, OTR/L is from Australia and has been an Occupational Therapist since 1972. Rosemary received her Neurodevelopmental Therapy training in London with the Bobaths, her Sensory Integrative Therapy training in Los Angeles with Dr. A Jean Ayres and her training in DIR®/Floortime with Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD and the Faculty of ICDL. Rosemary is the owner of a private practice and specializes in working with children presenting with challenges relating and communicating such as autism, sensory processing/integration differences and motor planning and regulatory/attention differences Rosemary’s practice emphasizes understanding the impact of the child’s sensory processing and postural control on their capacity to relate, communicate and learn.

Caregiver Track: AM Breakout Session Listening Differently: How to Honor Your Autistic Child’s Brilliance, Autonomy, and Voice Time 10:00-11:15 AM Presenter/Facilitator Tiffany Hammond Back to Course List < Back About the Course In this heartfelt and empowering talk, Tiffany Hammond—autistic writer, disability advocate, and mother of two autistic sons—speaks directly to caregivers and parents navigating life on the spectrum. Drawing from her lived experience parenting one speaking and one nonspeaking child, Hammond invites families to rethink what communication, success, and connection really look like. Through storytelling, honesty, and humor, she shares how moving beyond compliance-based parenting and deficit-focused systems opened new ways of understanding her children’s autonomy, needs, and brilliance. Hammond encourages caregivers to trust their instincts, honor all forms of communication, and resist narratives that center fixing rather than supporting autistic children. Parents will leave with renewed permission to slow down, listen differently, and embrace creative, relationship-centered approaches to advocacy—at home, in schools, and within medical and social systems. Above all, this talk offers solidarity: a reminder that caregivers are not alone, that the journey is rarely linear, and that joy, connection, and belonging are possible even in the messy middle. Objectives Participants will analyze how deficit-based and compliance-focused parenting models influence perceptions of communication, success, and autonomy in autistic children. Participants will evaluate alternative, relationship-centered approaches to caregiving that honor diverse forms of communication and prioritize connection over conformity. Participants will apply strategies that support advocacy across home, school, and medical settings by fostering trust, embracing neurodiversity, and promoting individualized, strengths-based support. Tiffany Hammond Tiffany Hammond — an autistic mother, writer, and advocate -- tells stories that center the messy, beautiful, hard, and deeply human parts of being neurodivergent, Black, and raising autistic children in a world that often forgets to listen. Tiffany is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and disability advocate. Her work centers the voices of autistic people and celebrates all forms of communication. She is the author of A Day with No Words and the upcoming picture book How Do You Spell Belong (2027). Tiffany is also the voice behind Fidgets and Fries, where she shares stories of advocacy, identity, and raising her two sons with autism. She has a master's degree in Developmental Psychology. Through books, essays, and public speaking, Tiffany works to challenge how the world sees disability — and how we see ourselves within it. Whether she's writing a picture book, unpacking the politics of masking, or simply sitting with the hard truths of parenting, everything she does is rooted in love, honesty, and liberation.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective Time 8:15-9:45 AM Presenter/Facilitator Elizabeth Torres, PhD Back to Course List < Back About the Course Elizabeth Torres, PhD will present research from Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective , introducing a data‑driven framework that reframes autism through measurable physiological and nervous system activity. The talk highlights a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that replaces subjective descriptions with objective movement and sensory metrics to support personalized phenotyping. Torres will discuss how this perspective advances tailored interventions, enables longitudinal tracking, and empowers autistic individuals and their families. Objectives Participants will analyze the movement sensing perspective presented by Elizabeth Torres, PhD, to explain how physiological and nervous system data can reframe autism beyond subjective descriptions. Participants will evaluate the role of interdisciplinary, data-driven approaches in developing personalized phenotyping and improving the accuracy of autism assessment. Participants will create individualized intervention strategies that incorporate objective movement and sensory metrics to support longitudinal tracking and empower autistic individuals and their families. Elizabeth Torres, PhD Dr. Torres leads the Sensory Motor Integration Lab and previously led the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence from 2018-2023. She conducts a broad research program developing new analytical methods and data types to connect movement sensation and cognition from molecules to behaviors. She is an inventor and an innovator developing new tools for applied science and commercialization.

Second Keynote Address: Autism Autonomy: In Search of our Human Dignity Time 12:45-1:30 PM Presenter/Facilitator Elizabeth Torres, PhD Back to Course List < Back About the Course Elizabeth Torres, PhD presents insights from her book "Autism Autonomy: In Search of our Human Dignity," a profound exploration of what it means to honor the full personhood of autistic individuals. In this keynote, Dr. Torres shares the importance of her research for amplifying autistic agency—centering the voices, choices, and self-determination of those on the spectrum. Drawing on rigorous scientific inquiry and deep respect for lived experience, Torres challenges systems and frameworks that reduce autistic individuals to passive recipients of intervention. Instead, she argues for a paradigm shift: one that recognizes autonomy as foundational to dignity, and data-driven understanding as a tool for empowerment rather than control. Key themes include: Why autonomy matters: The ethical and practical case for supporting self-determination in all aspects of life—communication, movement, decision-making, and daily living Research as advocacy: How objective measurement of sensory-motor processes can validate autistic experiences and challenge deficit-based narratives From compliance to collaboration: Rethinking clinical, educational, and family relationships to prioritize partnership over correction Amplifying agency: Strategies for creating environments, systems, and interactions that honor what autistic individuals are communicating—verbally and non-verbally. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the intersection between science and human rights, and a renewed commitment to practices that uplift rather than diminish autistic dignity. This keynote is a call to action: to listen more deeply, measure more thoughtfully, and advocate more boldly for a world where every autistic person's autonomy is recognized and protected. Objectives: Participants will explain the ethical case for supporting self-determination in all aspects of autistic life. Participants will define language related to sensory-motor processing and measurement thereof, including but not limited to: vestibular, interoception, proprioception, sensory profile Participants will integrate at least two strategies for creating environments that honor autistic autonomy. Elizabeth Torres, PhD Dr. Torres is a Computational Neuroscientist who has been working on theoretical and empirical aspects of sensory motor integration and human cognition since the late 90's. She graduated from Mathematics and Computer Science and spent a year at the NIH as a Pre-IRTA fellow, applying her skill set to the medical field. This work led to Pre-doctoral-fellowship funding (5 years) of graduate school. During her PhD at UCSD, she developed a new theoretical framework for the study of sensory motor integration, employing elements of Differential (Riemannian) geometry and tensor calculus adapted from Contemporary Mechanics and Dynamics to the realm of Cognitive Neuroscience. Upon PhD completion, she moved to CALTECH to receive postdoctoral training in electrophysiology and Computational Neural Systems as a Sloan-Swartz Fellow, a Della Martin Fellow and a Neuroscience Scholar. In parallel, she translated her models to work with humans suffering from pathologies of the nervous systems and built a new platform for personalized analyses of human naturalistic behaviors. She joined Rutgers University in 2008 and deployed her new platform to work on neurodevelopmental disorders with a focus on issues with social interactions. Under an NSF Cyber Enabled Discovery Award, she then launched a transformative research program in autism seeking to build synergies with industry, funded by the NSF Innovation Corps initiative. She filed four patent technologies and with the generous funding of the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation and the New Jersey Governor's Council for the treatment and research of autism, she extended the new platform to study natural dyadic and social behaviors in general. Her lab's vision has paved the way to seek new frontiers in personalized mobile-Health, dynamic diagnostics systems and new objectively-driven drug development for clinical trials. The overarching goal of her group is to create the means to quantify and track improvements in the person's quality of life.

Plenary Address: Supporting Individual Differences While Promoting Relationships through DIR®/Floortime Time 1:40 - 2:40 PM Presenter/Facilitator Rosemary White, OTR/L Back to Course List < Back About the Course Rosemary White, OTR/L presents a deeply practical and relationship-centered session on supporting the unique sensory, motor, and regulatory profiles of autistic children and adults—while nurturing authentic connection and belonging. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and her expertise in DIR®/Floortime, Rosemary explores how challenges in praxis (motor planning) and regulation can compromise an individual's capacity to engage, connect, and feel safe in relationships. Rather than viewing these differences as barriers, she reframes them as essential information that guides how we meet each person where they are. Through compelling case presentations, Rosemary elucidates: How praxis challenges affect initiation, sequencing, and spontaneous engagement—and what this means for relationship-building The role of regulation in supporting or disrupting connection, and how co-regulation creates a foundation for growth DIR®/Floortime strategies that honor individual differences while promoting reciprocal, joyful interaction Practical approaches for clinicians, educators, and families to follow the child's lead while scaffolding developmental capacities How to recognize and respond to subtle cues that signal readiness, overwhelm, or the need for support Attendees will leave with a deeper appreciation for the interplay between motor, sensory, and relational development—and concrete strategies for fostering authentic connection that respects each individual's unique nervous system and communication style. Objectives Participants will explain the neurological relationship between dysregulation and disrupted connections. Participants will explain at least three strategies of DIR®/Floortime. Participants will integrate strategies recognizing and responding to regulatory cues into their own clinical or educational practice. Rosemary White, OTR/L Rosemary White, OTR/L is from Australia and has been an Occupational Therapist since 1972. Rosemary received her Neurodevelopmental Therapy training in London with the Bobaths, her Sensory Integrative Therapy training in Los Angeles with Dr. A Jean Ayres and her training in DIR®/Floortime with Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD and the Faculty of ICDL. Rosemary is the owner of a private practice and specializes in working with children presenting with challenges relating and communicating such as autism, sensory processing/integration differences and motor planning and regulatory/attention differences. Rosemary owns and operates Pediatric Physical and Occupational Therapy Services in Seattle, Washington. Rosemary’s practice emphasizes understanding the impact of the child’s sensory processing and postural control on their capacity to relate, communicate and learn. In addition to her clinical work, Rosemary is very active in teaching and consulting throughout the United States, and internationally including Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, Trinidad, Barbados, Taiwan, Brazil, Ukraine and Australia. You can reach her at office@pedptot.com if you are interested in having her consult or lecture for your group. Rosemary is Senior Faculty for Profectum, with Serena Wieder, PhD, Clinical Director, and the experienced faculty providing training for parents and professionals on the Functional Capacities of Development and DIR Model. Rosemary served as Senior Faculty on the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disabilities (ICDL) when it was chaired by Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, Ph.D. She is also Affiliate Instructor at the University of Washington Department of Family and Child Nursing. Rosemary loves to cook every evening to wind down; sometimes it may be at midnight! When she gets the time, she loves to travel with her family and ski with her daughters. Rosemary and her husband, Greg have four daughters; Alek, Zoe, Nesse and Elle who have always been a part of the practice, growing up with the practice in their home until 2002 and now as young adults they continue to provide their support in various ways.

Resource Library Our Resource Library provides a compilation of helpful resources aimed at helping parents and caregivers navigate the world of autism in San Antonio. Here, you can find a variety of useful materials such as educational materials, support groups, and counseling services, as well as links to other relevant organizations, all tailored to the needs of the autism community in San Antonio. While we've gathered these resources for you, ACN does not directly or indirectly endorse any product or service that will be provided by these organizations. Categories ADULT & TRANSITION AGE SERVICES Here you will find a curated collection of day programs and vocational programs in Central Texas ADVOCACY Advocating for Progress: Resources and Support for Advocates and Activists in the Autism Community AUTISM DIAGNOSIS Navigating the Diagnostic Journey: Support and Information for Families Seeking an Autism Diagnosis CAMPS & RECREATION Fun, Friendship, and Growth: Summer Camps and Recreation Programs for Autistic Individuals CASE MANAGEMENT & FAMILY SERVICES Comprehensive Care and Support: Case Management and Family Services for Autistic Individuals CHILDCARE Quality Care and Support: Resources and Information for Childcare Providers Serving Autistic Children COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE Building Strong Communities: Resources and Community-Based Assistance for Autistic Individuals EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION Early Intervention for Positive Outcomes: Resources and Support for Early Childhood Intervention in Autism EDUCATION Empowering Students with Autism: Resources and Support for Inclusive and Accessible Education FUNDING & MEDICAID WAIVERS Accessing Autism Services: Resources and Support for Funding and Medicaid Waivers MEDICAL Comprehensive Care and Support: Resources and Info for Medical Services for Autistic Individuals MONEY MANAGEMENT & ESTATE PLANNING Securing Your Future: Money Management and Estate Planning for Families of Autistic Individuals NUTRITION PROGRAMS Accessing Nutritional Services: Strategies and Tools for Families of Autistic Individuals PARENT EDUCATION Collaborating with Professionals: A Guide to Parent Education and Support in Autism RESIDENTIAL SERVICES Supporting Independent Living: Strategies and Tools for Accessing and Navigating Residential Services RESPITE SERVICES Taking Care of Caregivers: Resources and Support for Respite Services for Families of Autistic Individuals STATE & FEDERAL SUPPORT Accessing Government Support: Resources & Support for State and Federal Assistance for Autistic Individuals SUPPORT GROUPS Connecting with Others: Resources and Support for Support Groups for Families and Autistic Individuals THERAPY RESOURCES Therapy resources for traditional Occupational & Speech therapy across South Texas TRANSPORTATION Promoting Independence: A Guide to Transportation and Support for Autistic Individuals