We’re excited to introduce our 2026-2027 Committee Members for the ABCT Autism SIG Conference Planning Committee!
This group helps shape our SIG programming at ABCT, from organizing the pre-conference and business meeting to inviting speakers and reviewing SIG poster submissions.
We’re excited to introduce our 2026-2027 Committee Members for the ABCT Autism SIG Awards Committee!
This group plays a key role in recognizing outstanding contributions to autism research and clinical practice at the ABCT Annual Convention in November.
We’re excited to introduce our 2026-2027 Committee Members for the ABCT Autism SIG Diversity Committee!
This group is dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within autism research and clinical practice. We’re grateful for their commitment and excited for the impact they’ll make!
Virtual panel: The intersection of autism and immigration: clinical guidance for supporting individuals and families. Registration link in post Friday, April 17 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST thank you to our sponsors AIDD psychology, interest network, SPARK, APA division 33: IDD/ASD. Hosted by the ABCT Autism SIG.
Photos of three of the panelists. Yoreidy Tavárez, PhD, ABPP, Rod Salgado, PhD, Sadaf Khawar, PhD, BCBA.
Photos of three of the panelists. Dieu Truong, PhD, LP, LSP, Adaugo Frimpong, LCPC, Diksha Bali, MS.Ed.
‼️Happening in 1 hour! Our Virtual Seminar on The Intersection of Autism and Immigration: Clinical Guidance for Supporting Individuals and Families: Fri 4/17 12:00–1:30pm EST.
Register + submit questions: montclair.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
ABCT Autism SIG Leadership & Team Structure. Co-Chairs/Elect, Vice Chair Financial Operations, Vice Chair Member Operations, Communications & Outreach Co-Chairs (website team, dissemination team, content creation team), Advocacy Committee, Awards Committee, Conference Planning Committee, Seminar Series Planning Committee, Trainee Development Committee, Diversity Committee.
Autism SIG Meet the Communication & Outreach Committee. Pictures of each committee member, their names, and pronouns. Rachel G. McDonald, Co-Chair, she/her. Britney Jeyanayagam, Co-Chair, she/her. Diondra Straiton-Webster, she/her. Sadie Calvano, she/her. Angela Constantine, she/her. Alexis Brewe, she/her. Kristin Walker, she/her. Grace Lee Simmons, she/her. Lluvia Sanchez, she/her. Kyle Frost, she/her. Nina Menon, she/her.
We're excited to introduce our 2026-2027 Committee Members for the ABCT Autism SIG! We will post each committee over the next few weeks. See below for our SIG's Leadership & Team Structure overview and the members of our Communication & Outreach committee who make these posts 🤩
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Thinking about these points on #AutismAcceptanceDay ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Virtual seminar. The Intersection of Autism and Immigration: Clinical Guidance for Supporting Individuals and Families. Friday, 4/17 from 12:00-1:30 pm EST. Live transcription and chat access provided. You are welcome to request other accommodations at time of registration.
Join us Friday 4/17 from 12:00-1:30 pm EST for our next virtual webinar titled, "The Intersection of Autism and Immigration: Clinical Guidance for Supporting Individuals and Families." This event is co-sponsored by the AAIDD Psychology Interest Group. Register here: montclair.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Listen to our most recent session from our seminar series titled, “The Connection Between Neurodivergent Physical and Mental Health: Crucial Considerations for Therapeutic Practice” by Dr. T.A. McDonald @spectrum-for-life.bsky.social. View it here ➡️ youtu.be/qvG2wsf5kJE?...
We love this set of #SuicidePrevention resources for autistic people, co-designed with autistic people and suicide experts! Check out their resources for autistic people, their loved ones, and professionals! www.med.unc.edu/aaset-sp/res...
This will be a great seminar. Join the ABCT Autism SIG to learn more about these topics, which autistic self-advocates have highlighted as high priorities for autism research!
Virtual seminar: The Connection between Neurodivergent Physical and Mental Health: Crucial Considerations for Therapeutic Practice, Dr. T.A. McDonald. Friday, February 27, 2026 12:00-1:30 pm EST. Link in comments. Autism SIG virtual seminar series, hosted by the ABCT Autism SIG, ABCTautism.com. Live transcription and chat access provided. You are welcome to request other accommodations at time of registration.
Join us for a virtual seminar led by Dr. T.A. McDonald, titled “The Connection between Neurodivergent Physical and Mental Health: Crucial Considerations for Therapeutic Practice.” The seminar is on Friday, February 27, 2026 12:00-1:30 pm EST. Registration link is in the comments!
Such a great resource! Definitely check this out for tips for AAC users and allies to do policy advocacy!
A promotional flyer for a virtual seminar titled "The Connection between Neurodivergent Physical and Mental Health: Crucial Considerations for Therapeutic Practice." The background features a soft green and purple gradient with delicate white leaf illustrations. On the left is a professional headshot of the speaker, Dr. T.A. McDonald, a woman with long, dark curly hair. Event Details: Date: Friday, February 27, 2026 Time: 12:00–1:30 PM EST Format: Virtual Seminar Host: ABCT Autism SIG (Autism Spectrum & Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group) Call to Action: The flyer includes a "Registration Link" and a QR code in the bottom right corner with the text "Or scan to register." Footer Information: The bottom banner is dark navy blue with white text. It lists the website abctautism.com and notes: "Live transcription and chat access provided. You are welcome to request other accommodations at time of registration."
🗓️ Save the Date: Our First Virtual Seminar of 2026!
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. T.A. McDonald on February 27th (12:00-1:30 PM EST).
🧠 "The Connection between Neurodivergent Physical and Mental Health: Crucial Considerations for Therapeutic Practice."
🔗 Register: zoom.us/webinar/regi...
The Autism SIG is constantly reflecting on how we can better #advocate for the intersectional policy changes in this article.
We’d love to hear from #Autism SIG Members:
How have you tried to move the focus away from "fixing" the individual and toward changing the environment or policy? 💬👇
⬇️ New Research Spotlight ⬇️
"Neurodiversity-Affirming Intersectional Approaches That Target Public Policy"
Calling for a field-wide shift toward structural reform and "just research" that centers multiply marginalized Autistic voices.
doi.org/10.1111/josi...
#AcademicBluesky #Neurodiversity
Such an important review paper! We love how the Caregiver Skills Training program uses non-specialists and can help improve access to autism services. This review is especially exciting because it describes cultural adaptations too. What are your thoughts about caregiver-mediated interventions? 🤔
Yes! We loved that the leadership intervention (TEAMS Leadership Institute) is a relatively low time commitment too!
Let us know what you think about this study from our colleagues @lbrookman.bsky.social & @aubynstahmer.bsky.social & colleagues!
Check out the paper below & tell us more below about why you think #Leadership interventions are so effective! ⬇️
www.jaacap.org/article/S089...
Lay summary: This study showed that involving agency leaders in organizations who train providers on autism interventions helped improve the delivery of the interventions & improved outcomes for the autistic children in the study. Provider-focused training did not significantly improve outcomes
#AutismResearch highlight!📚Brookman-Frazee et al., 2025: This hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness trial of 2 autism interventions found that a leader-level implementation strategy improved provider fidelity & child outcomes, while a provider-level strategy had no sig. effect on outcomes
What an incredible ABCT! 🎉 A huge thank you to everyone who attended the Precon, SIG Meeting, and all the talks. We are so grateful for the high-quality research and insights shared by our trainees and presenters! See you next year! #ABCT2025 #ABCTAutism2025
Today is the final day of #ABCT2025 and we’re rounding out with a clinical round table titled, “Promoting CBT Access for Autistic Clients - Successful Collaboration Across Professional Domains & Multiple Settings.” Join us from 12:15-1:45 PM in Empire C, Level 2. #ABCTAutism2025
Fabulous insights shared by Drs. Katharine Pickard, Grace Lee Simmons, Kelsey Dickson, and Laura Klinger - SIG Leadership sharing their expertise on improving the inclusivity of mental health care for #autistic people!
#ABCTAutism2025
Last night’s SIG Expo was a hit! Shout-out to our 12 wonderful presenters from various career stages who did a great job covering a range of topics.
We love our vibrant #autism research community!
#ABCTAutism2025
Check out Saturday’s second poster session highlights focused on enhancing ERP for autistic individuals with OCD (PS7-11) and emotion dysregulation and anxiety in Autistic youth. Check these out in Elite Hall A, Level 1 from 3:00-4:00 pm! #ABCT2025 #ABCTAutism2025
There are several oral presentations focused on topics relevant to #autistic youth and adolescents in Celestin B, Level 3 from 3:00-5:00 pm! Check out SIG Co-Chair - Sadaf Khawar's presentation titled, "Assessment of Needs and Models of
Support for Autistic Adults" and more! #ABCTAutism2025
