Katie Koullas (she/her)
Katie Koullas will unpack the current issues facing the community and discuss the conference content.
Christina Keeble (she/her)
Sarah Gurrin (she/her)
An essential back-to-basics session on what teachers need to know about the ladybug students in their classroom. Our two panellists share their expert practical advice on creating a neuro-affirming and supportive learning environment, where autistic students with hidden needs can thrive.
Em Hammond @NeuroWild (she/her)
Join us for an empowering, enlightening and practical discussion with the incredible Em Hammond from NeuroWild. This is one of those must-attend sessions, designed to guide parents, teachers, and allies through a transformative shift in perspective. It will provide invaluable insights into understanding and appreciating the unique experiences of autistic children, so we can change the way we perceive and support our ladybugs.
Frances Brennan (she/her)
This focused session shines a spotlight on the unique communication needs of our high masking ladybugs, exploring key autistic communication concepts including the double empathy problem, and providing practical tips for supporting autistic young people to express themselves authentically.
Annelil Desille (she/they)
Chelsea Luker (she/her)
An affirming discussion on autistic pride, offering practical advice for parents, teachers and allies on nurturing the self-esteem and wellbeing of their ladybugs. Our panellists will draw on their professional expertise and lived experience in guiding us to help our autistic young people build an authentic identity, to find their neurokin, and their place in the autistic community.
Chenai Mupotsa-Russell (she/her)
A special parent-focussed session on building authentic, collaborative and compassionate relationships with our autistic young people. Learn about the importance of connection and unconditional positive regard and how we can nurture and empower our ladybugs through partnering with them to understand and address their support needs.
Adina Levy (she/her)
Sandhya Menon (she/her)
How can we ensure that the most common classroom tools for supporting autistic students are neuro-affirming, tailored to the unique needs of our ladybug students, and not simply encouraging them to mask? Our panellists provide powerful practical advice on ensuring that the school-based supports developed for our ladybugs promote connection, authenticity and self-expression.
Shadia Hancock (they/them)
Summer Farrelly (they/them)
Two incredible autistic young people share their most important advice on nurturing and empowering autistic young people in the education setting. They explore the themes of embracing interest-led learning, genuine inclusion, flexible learning and the power of embracing student autonomy and agency.
Katie Koullas (she/her)
Dr Alberto Veloso (he/him)
With a special focus on the teacher-ladybug relationship, child psychiatrist and autistic ally, Dr Alberto Veloso guides us through the process of thinking about ourselves as adults, and the neuroscience behind why our bodies and brains react they way they do when our young people are distressed. He helps us understand how we can co-regulate, and how we can better support the autistic students in our care by being curious and recognising their perspective.
Kelly Mahler (she/her)
Join us for this in-depth interview with interoception guru, Kelly Mahler, where we explore interoception through the specific lens of autistic girls and gender diverse young people. We cover the big topics including internalising and masking, emotions and alexithymia, eating disorders, hormones and puberty, behaviour and co-regulation
Eliza Fricker (she/her)
An engaging conversation with Eliza Fricker from Missing the Mark, who shares her honest and compassionate insights into the labels our high-masking ladybugs receive (and that Eliza received as a child), what to do when our autistic children can’t go to school, supporting PDA children and teens, and the power of low demand parenting.
Ebony Birch-Hanger (she/her)
Yellow Ladybugs alumni, Ebony Birch-Hanger shares her practical and deeply personal insights into the importance of teaching self-care as a preventative tool against autistic burnout. She covers the relationship between self-awareness and self-care, provides advice for educators on how they can support autistic students through teaching and modelling self-care, including those ladybugs whose perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies may mean their struggles are hidden.
Kaitlin Pradhan (she/her)
Veronika Miller (they/she)
Ynna Hernandez-Europa (she/her)
Patrick Saunders (he/him)
A collection of stories from our community sharing their journey and personal experience from their perspective.
To be announced
Katie Koullas (she/her)
Em Rusciano (she/her)
Sonny Jane Wise (they/them)
Khadija Gbla (she/they)
Ruby Wiggins (she/her)
Marie Camin (she/her)
Allison Davies (she/her)
Sandhya Menon (she/her)
Annie Crowe (she/her)
Em Hammond @NeuroWild (she/her)
Yellow Ladybug
Katie Koullas (she/her)