2021 Fall Conference

Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Schools: Assessments & Beyond

COVID-19 Notice: OSPA has every intention of holding this conference in person. We cannot offer a hybrid option. We will be monitoring and adhering to all health orders. We urge attendees to follow health and safety practices, including wearing a mask unless actively eating or drinking. OSPA will provide a limited number of masks for those who need them. With health and safety in mind, lunch service will be an attended buffet in order to minimize contact with the food. In the event that a government health order prohibits in-person events, the conference will be held virtually. OSPA will provide as much notice as is feasible should it become necessary to alter the format.
Update: The city of Columbus has a mask mandate, so the hotel is mandating masks to be worn in all the public space by attendees and staff.

Date(s): 

Nov. 4-5, 2021

Location:

Hilton Columbus/Polaris

Sessions:

Thursday, Nov. 4
AM: Update from the Department of Education Office of Exceptional Children
Joe Petrarca and Bernadette Laughlin

AM: Mastering Special Education Compliance for Students with Autism (Ethics)
Pam Leist

PM: Resisting & Persisting in the Face of Deficit Narratives of Black Families Raising Children with Autism
Dr. Liz Drame, Tara Adams, Judy Nardi & Veronica Nolden

Friday, Nov. 5
Assessments & methods for evaluating students with autism
and
Girls & Women on the Spectrum: Closing the Gender Gap
Ruth Aspy, PhD

Brochure:

Click Here

Pricing:

Click Here

Registration Form:

Click Here

Event App (NEW):

We are excited to offer you a custom app for all things Fall Conference. Please download it before arriving at the conference and read the details HERE.

Handouts:

Find them in the app or Click Here

Books:

We will offer the book written by our Thursday panelists for a special conference discount. Pre-order your copy through your registration and pick it up at the conference. A limited number of copies will be available for purchase on-site.
The Resistance, Persistence and Resilience of Black Families Raising Children with Autism by Elizabeth R. Drame, Tara Adams, Veronica R. Nolden and Judy M. Nardi

T-shirts:

We will be pre-selling a new T-shirt design for pick up at the conference (see brochure for details). Click Here to see the design. Shirts are $18 and 40% of the profits go to the Future School Psychologists of Ohio Club and the remainder to OSPA’s PR merchandise fund.

Hotel:

Hilton Columbus/Polaris: Room Rates $146 (single/double) to Oct. 10 or until sold out
Click Here to book online

Online Registration:

Click here

MCE/CEU Credits: 

Continuing education credits will be available each day: 6 hours for Thursday and 5.75 hours for Friday.

College Credit:

One graduate credit through Ashland University will be available for those who attend all of the Thursday and Friday sessions of the OSPA Fall Conference on both Nov. 4-5. The cost will be $180. Attendees can make arrangements upon checking in at the registration table on Thursday morning. Details HERE.
Please email Rob Kubick at rkubick@apslearns.org with any questions.

Exhibitors: 

Vendors interested in an exhibitor table or other sponsorship opportunity during the Thursday and Friday conference sessions may request a form by emailing mail@ospaonline.org. Vendors are subject to review and will be granted space on a first come, first served basis.

Conference Book for Purchase

We will offer the book written by our Thursday panelists for a special conference discount. Pre-order your copy through your registration and pick it up at the conference. A limited number of copies will be available for purchase on-site.

The Resistance, Persistence and Resilience of Black Families Raising Children with Autism by Elizabeth R. Drame, Tara Adams, Veronica R. Nolden and Judy M. Nardi presents nuanced perspectives in the form of counternarratives of what Black families who have children with autism experience at the intersection of race, class, disability and gender. It intentionally centers the expertise of Black parents, challenging what is considered knowledge, whose knowledge counts, and how knowledge can be co-generated for learning, sharing and advocacy. The book speaks directly to Black parents on the autism journey. To right systemic racial inequities and to cultivate culturally responsive practices, it is critical for practitioners and professionals to understand what is known about Black families’ experiences with autism in general and how these experiences differ because of our intersecting identities. University faculty and students in programs involving medicine, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, political science, school psychology, teaching, special education and leadership can benefit from the wisdom offered by these parents. This text is perfect for several courses, including those in departments of anthropology, women and gender studies, health sciences, psychology, special education, teacher education and administrative leadership. In addition, given the uniquely Black perspective presented in the text, this text is relevant to other fields, including ethnic studies, cultural studies, urban studies and African American studies. It is relevant to individuals who wish to better understand how issues of race and intra-racial differences shape lived experiences with disability in American society.