17th Annual Conference on Autism Services for Children
Speakers and Biography
Shelley Moore
Originally from Edmonton, and now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Shelley Moore is a highly sought after teacher, researcher, consultant and storyteller and she has worked with school districts and community organizations throughout both Canada and the United States. Her research and work has been featured at national and international conferences and is constructed based on theory and effective practices of inclusion, special education, curriculum and teacher professional development.
Her first book entitled, “One Without the Other” was released in July 2016 to follow up her TEDx talk hosted in Langley in January 2016. Shelley completed an undergraduate degree in Special Education at the University of Alberta, her masters at Simon Fraser University, and is currently a SSHRC funded PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia.
Melanie Potock
Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, is an international speaker on the topic of feeding babies, toddlers and school-age kids and a pediatric feeding therapist. She is the co-author of the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater (2015; 2nd edition 2022), Responsive Feeding (2022) & 4 other popular books focused on raising adventurous eaters. Mel’s Instagram has become a trusted resource for both parents and professionals across the globe. Her content includes guidance about starting solids, pacifier and bottle weaning, strategies for picky eaters and advice on Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or extreme picky eating. Melanie’s strategies have been shared in television & print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com & Parents Magazine.
AJ Paron and Devin Wildes
The Boy Who Spoke through his Art: A story of determination, finding purpose and beating the odds
In this inspirational keynote, AJ shares the story of Devin and his life with autism. This story is about a young boy that beat the odds because he found his purpose and passion.
The audience will learn what truly motivated people and how anyone can accomplish the impossible if they’re passionate.
The keynote ends with Devin speaking to the audience about his passions. It’s a remarkable moment since his mother was told he would never speak.
My presentation is this:
Design Empathy: How to design interiors that are considerate of neurologically diverse people
This keynote covers how sensory integration can change how humans interact with the built environment. The audience will learn about Design Empathy and how it relates to the built environment and products as well as Neurodiversity.
The audience will understand design strategies and how to create optimal environments and products and create inclusivity for marginalized communities.
Kim Ward
Kim completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1995 at the University of Calgary. During her years in graduate school, she focused specifically on the social-cognitive differences associated with Autism. Kimberley became a Registered Psychologist in 1996 and joined the clinical team at Society for Autism Support and Services (SASS) (formerly Society for Treatment of Autism). After serving as the Clinical Director for nine years, she transitioned to the role of Executive Director in 2018. Kim joined the Canadian Autism Alliance of Canada Board of Directors in 2020 where she serves as the Chair of the Governance Committee and Board Secretary.
Devin Wildes
As a child, Devin didn’t speak but he found a way of communicating through art – and he loved it. Devin is extremely talented and a true inspiration for people looking to gain a better understanding of life with autism. Many doctors, experts and professionals never thought Devin would be able to speak but now he shares his story with confidence and professionalism on stage.
Wildes has presented work in exhibitions throughout the Twin Cities, including We Are Not Disposable (2020), Groundswell at Artspace Jackson Flats (2019), and Underwater at Interact Gallery (2019). He has won several 1st place awards for the Davinci Fest in Stillwater, MN, and in 2014, one of his paintings was used on promotional banners and t-shirts for The Autism 5K. Wildes has been a featured artist on PBS, The Pioneer Press, The Star Tribune, and Architectural Digest. He uses his platform as an artist and public speaker to advocate for the rights of people with autism.
Shino Nakane
Shino Nakane is the Provincial Director for Autism Society Alberta. She has volunteered on a variety of boards and committees over the past decade and is currently co-vice chair for the Autism Alliance of Canada . She is a current member, and past Vice Chair, of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, an advisory body for the Government of Alberta. Shino is the mother of a young Autistic adult who communicates uniquely without words to the people he loves and the world around him. Shino continually strives to spearhead efforts so that all people are able to live in accessible and inclusive communities.
Lindsay Wagner
Bio missing
Kim Barthel
Linna Haak began with The Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton in October 2023. Her background includes 35 years of experience in finance, 23 years in the healthcare sector, and seven years working with non-profits. Linna was the previously the Director of Finance for a local women’s shelter. She’s passionate about making a positive difference for families facing challenges.
Terri Duncan
Terri Duncan is the founder and Executive Director of Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton. She is a speech language pathologist and has worked with children with autism and a broad range of developmental delays for close to thirty years. Terri has her B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Ottawa and her master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Alberta. She has presented at numerous conferences, provided professional development training sessions, and taught classes at universities.
Her interest in working with children with neurodiverse populations began when she worked as an aide with a four-year old boy with autism. Since that time, she has been fascinated by the complexity of the brain and the resilience of families dealing with the challenges they face on a daily basis. Terri started Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton in 2004 and since that time, the organization has grown to be the largest service provider in Western Canada.
Lisa Morgan
Lisa Morgan is a consultant specializing in crisis supports and suicide prevention for autistic people. Lisa is the founder and co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup and has led the development of several autism specific resources for communicating and supporting autistic people in crisis. A self-advocate with a passion for strengths-based solutions, Lisa has authored several books, articles, and resources all available on her website: www.autismcrisissupport.com. She is a community council member of AASET (Autistic Adults and other Stakeholders Engaged Together), a group of autistic adults informing autism research priorities. Lisa is a consultant and team co-lead on several research projects awarded by PCORI, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Lisa has two master’s degrees, one in Social Work and the other in Education. She is a certified autism specialist, and owner of Lisa Morgan Consulting LLC.
Priya Saaral
Priya Saaral, LICSW, RPT-S is a proud mama, play therapist and parenting consultant passionate about supporting the emotional wellbeing of neurodivergent children and parents by helping them reconnect to their playful spirit amidst personal and structural adversity. She is a late-identified neurodivergent person with caste privilege and a first generation immigrant settler from India and Singapore, settled on Duwamish land (Seattle USA). When she isn’t playing at work, she plays at home with her sporty tween and a doting havanese pup who keeps her on her toes.
Elizabeth Bonker
Elizabeth Bonker
Elizabeth Bonker is an international advocate for Nonspeakers with Autism. She learned to type at age 5 and was mainstreamed in first grade public school. Her 2022 valedictorian commencement address from Rollins College went viral with 4 billion media impressions. Elizabeth will take you on a journey into her world and mission. Her nonprofit Communication 4 ALL (C4A) works to ensure all Nonspeakers have access to communication and education. She will discuss the challenges nonspeakers face and how parents, therapists, and teachers can overcome them. In 2023, Communication 4 ALL created C4A Academy, an internet-based program to teach Nonspeakers to type anywhere in the world, free of charge. In 2024, Communication 4 ALL launched Regulation 4 ALL, a tool to help Nonspeakers better regulate themselves based on Elizabeth’s 2-year experiment to move from fight-or-flight to safe mode. These initiatives are creating a tidal wave of typers who are committed to gaining communication equality for ALL.
Hanna Blecher
Hannah Belcher is currently a Lecturer in User Led Research within the Service User Research Enterprise (SURE) in the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience (King’s College London). Her research centres around the diagnosis and mental health of autistic adults, the role of camouflaging/masking traits, and adapting mental health services to better meet their needs. She is also an Associate Lecturer for the Open University (Brain, Mind and Mental Health).
Hannah passed her PhD investigating the undiagnosis of autism in females in May 2020. Prior to her current role, she was a Senior Evaluations Officer at national Mind, leading and supporting the evaluation of Mind’s mental health work for children and young people.
Marsha Dunn Klein
Marsha is a pediatric occupational therapist with 54 years experience in pediatrics and feeding. SHe has been a clinician. a clinic owner, an author and inventor. She coauthored PreFeeding Skills FIrst and Second Edition and Mealtime Participation Guide and
Homemade Blended Formula with Suzanne Evans Morris. She co-authored Feeding and Nutrition for the Child with Special Needs with Tracy Delaney. Her most recent book is Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes: Practical and Compassionate Strategies for Mealtime Peace. She invented the TeetherHeart and Duospoon with Special Supplies. Marsha is cofounder of Nourish, a 501c3nonprofit supporting families whose children have feeding differences and Get Permission Institute, (www.getpermissioninstitute.com), an online teaching platform for feeding education for professionals.
Dr. Sabrina Eliason
Dr. Sabrina Eliason (she/her) is a developmental pediatrician at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta located within Treaty 6 territory. She is an assistant professor at the University of Alberta, and the past-president of the Canadian Pediatric Society Section of Developmental Pediatrics. She currently serves as the medical lead of the School-age Neurodevelopmental Assessment Clinic and the Pediatric Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Clinic. Her clinical interests include assessments of children with complex developmental and mental health presentations, neonatal developmental follow-up and developmental care in intensive care and acute care hospital settings. Dr. Eliason completed undergraduate studies in Economics and Biology at Queen’s University, medical school in Vancouver at UBC, general pediatrics training at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and developmental pediatrics subspecialty training at the University of Alberta.
Emily Holl
Emily Holl is the Director of The Sibling Support Project, the first national program dedicated to supporting siblings of people with developmental and health concerns. A social worker and sibling, Emily has published research and written in blogs, magazines and books such as “Thicker than Water.” She co-edited “The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Adult Brothers and Sisters of People with Disabilities.” Emily earned a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, an M.F.A. from Columbia University, and an MSW from Hunter College at the City University of New York.