UVU Autism Conference

The Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism is pleased to share details for the 2027 UVU Autism Conference. Thank you for joining us, as we explore best-practice approaches and work together to strengthen a community of belonging.
 
We are delighted to welcome Amy Lutz as our keynote speaker.
 
Each year, the conference offers a full day of breakout sessions centered on a specific theme. We bring in leading researchers and professionals from across the country to share their expertise and innovative work. This year's focus is Autism and Advocacy.
 
We are also excited to feature partnering agencies who will provide valuable community resources and access to essential information related to this year's topic.
 
Interested in presenting at the 2027 UVU Autism Conference?
Share your knowledge, experiences, and ideas by submitting a presentation proposal.
 

This Conference is Beneficial For:

  • Individuals with autism
  • Families and the Community
  • Educators
  • Professionals

Annual Pre-Conference Morning Address - Sasha Long

 

March 11, 2027

Sasha Long, BCBA, M.A., is the founder and president of The Autism Helper, Inc. She is a board-certified behavior analyst and former special education teacher. Sasha works full-time as a consultant, writer, and behavior analyst. Sasha manages and writes The Autism Helper Blog as a way to share easy-to-use and ready-to-implement strategies and ideas. Sasha also travels internationally as a speaker and consultant, providing individualized training and feedback to parents, educators, therapists, and administrators in the world of autism. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Sasha received her undergraduate degree in Special Education from Miami University and has a Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. 
 

Headshot of Sasha Long

Annual Conference Keynote Speaker - Amy Lutz

 

March 12, 2027

Headshot of Amy Lutz

Amy S.F. Lutz, PhD, is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Vice-President of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA), and the parent of a profoundly autistic son, Jonah, 27. She has written about profound autism for many journals, including The American Journal of Bioethics, The Hastings Center Bioethics Forum, Autism Research and Frontiers in Psychiatry, as well as for more mainstream platforms, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Psychology Today, The Washington Post, and Slate. Her most recent book is Chasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded from the Debates that Affect Them Most  (2023); she is also the author of We Walk: Life with Severe Autism (2020) and Each Day I Like It Better: Autism, ECT, and the Treatment of Our Most Impaired Children (2014). She lives outside ofPhiladelphia with her husband and whichever of her five kids happens to be home at the time.