AUTISM AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 2018: COMMUNITY BUILDING SPONSORED BY

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1 AUTISM AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 2018: COMMUNITY BUILDING SPONSORED BY Our History Empower Autism is a private local company that in recent years has focused on hosting a local autism conference: Autism and the Pursuit of Happiness. This conference is different and important in that it features Autistic speakers. We think it is important for parents, professionals, and friends to listen to people on the spectrum and learn from their perspective. Happiness is a main theme because happiness is undervalued and under-taught for everyone. For the 2018 conference under the general theme of Happiness we feature stories of community building. For the conference to grow, Empower Autism is co-hosting the 2018 conference with ASD Opportunities, a local not for profit committed to providing community opportunities for autistic individuals including funding and scholarships for camps, education and vocational training as well as support in creating small employee owned businesses. Mission To empower and amplify the Autistic voice by offering an accessible platform with which to educate the community, facilitate connections and collaboration, promote Autism acceptance, and encourage diverse views of the pursuit of happiness. Vision To hold a safe space where all Autistic and non-autistic professionals, parents, students, and interested community members can come together in an atmosphere of hope, acceptance, and perseverance, while furthering and encouraging the pursuit of Autistic happiness. Values We provide a safe space in which to create dialogue, seek information, and request and offer guidance from the true experts: Autistic people. We act with respect for ourselves and each other. We honor and celebrate the autistic community. We provide an accessible and sensory friendly environment.

2 Etiquette This conference is intended to be neuro-divergent friendly. Please let people be themselves and make room for blunt statements or questions, various stimming, and processing time after questions. This conference is intended to be neuro-typical friendly. Please let people be themselves and make room for hinting questions, unclear intentions, various stimming, and idle chitchat. Some people will use communication badges at this conference. Green means you can approach them if you wish. Yellow means you can only approach if you know that person. Red means you should not approach. There are several places at the conference that are semi-quiet for taking a break. Signs are posted on the doors to these rooms. 9am-9:20am Opening Remarks 9:30am-10am: Breakout 1 10:15- Breakout :45 Brunch 12pm-12:45pm Keynote: Ben Mason Conference Schedule Timeslot First Name 9am Opening Remarks Sylvia van Meerten 9:30-10am Ben Mack 9:30-10am Jonathan Sharp 9:30-10am Katie Oswald Teen Panel Kit Sullivan & Danny Landry Ethan Hirschberg 11-11:45 BRUNCH 12-12:45 Keynote Ben Mason

3 Speaker Bio s Our speakers represent themselves, and their personal beliefs. They do not all agree with each other, nor do any one of them represent the entire autistic community. Our conference is intended to be a place to respectfully listen to autistic adults. Ben Mason (keynote)is an innovative designer, professional, and husband. He currently owns and operates an independent media production studio in WNC, offering support to local businesses and startups. Diagnosed on the spectrum as a young adult, Ben is a dedicated community advocate. He speaks publicly on ASD- related topics, and has helped organize and execute successful crowd- funded projects for the ASD community. Ben Mack is 50, and he was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 44. Previously, he was a Senior Vice President at three advertising agencies, a Magic Castle award winning magician, and a best- selling author. His marketing book, Think Two Products Ahead, was #2 on Amazon for four days, because the pre- sales to Harry Potter 5 launched the previous day. Jonathan Sharp is an example of an Asperger Success Story. He holds two Associates Degrees, one in Hotel and Restaurant Management and one in Accounting. Jonathan currently owns J.A. Sharp Business Services, which provides bookkeeping and grant writing services to small businesses. In addition to being self- employed, Jonathan is the founder and facilitator of Mountain Empire Aspies, a small group that provides support and social interaction to adults on the high functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. Mountain Empire Aspies also promotes awareness in the community by hosting public events. Personally, Jonathan is single and loves architecture, freeway design, and Dachshunds. Ethan Hirschberg is a sixteen- year- old Autism advocate, blogger, and speaker who was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism at age two. In March 2017, Ethan started The Journey Through Autism, a blog that he writes where he shares his personal experiences, insights, and advice to individuals on the spectrum, parents, caregivers, educators, and providers. Since then, Ethan and his blog have been featured in many publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Autism Speaks, and the Organization For Autism Research. Kit Sullivan is a 23 year old UNCA Anthropology Undergraduate student. She lives in Asheville, and enjoys advocating and educating others about disability as diversity. In her free time she enjoys spending time with people she cares about, and drawing fluffy sheep. Danny Landry is 31 years old from Mars Hill. He enjoys making people smile and working at Harris Teeters, and for the Autism Society. Work is more than a job to him, it is about impacting people s lives. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his friends and taking care of his chickens and ducks. Katie Oswald is a travel blogger and the founder of Oswald Consulting, a mission- driven firm that offers services for nonprofits around the world. She recently launched The Autistic Travel Coach to help others on the spectrum live their travel dreams. A world traveler and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Katie has been to 16 countries on six continents. Her travels include two years in a Ugandan village, two trips to Southwest Russia, and a holiday spent hiking the Antarctic Peninsula.

4 Session Descriptions Work Life and ASD By Ben Mason Work matters. For those on the spectrum, inclusive professional communities and practices are often vital to happy, sustainable lifestyles. We'll discuss ASD- related topics through the lens of key workplace relationships, considering different approaches such as business style, accommodations, effective strategies, and work/life balance. Beginning with real- world experiences and a practical working definition of ASD, we'll explore these relationships from the perspective of employee, manager, co- worker, and coach. Masterminding for Parents of Autistics Kids By Ben Mack Masterminding Especially for Parents of Autistic Kids - - Meet other parents who want to mastermind about raising autistic kids, you can leave with a parenting support group. Discover a simple 5- step process that can be used to mastermind in person, or on the telephone via a conference call. Self- Employment and the Autism Spectrum by Jonathan A. Sharp Jonathan will discuss how self- employment has helped him and how it can help others on the Spectrum. This presentation will address employment statistics, advantages of self- employment, disadvantages of self- employment, and what kind of careers people with autism can be successful in (including alternatives to computer science type careers). Putting The Pieces Together: Creating Autism Aware Communities by Ethan Hirschberg For those on the Autism spectrum, finding a community to belong to or participate in can be very challenging. We will discuss how to develop Autism awareness in the environments that you are involved in and create supportive communities for yourself or your students, employees, or loved ones with Autism. Attendees will learn tips on how to build more Autism- friendly virtual communities, schools, and businesses. Be the missing puzzle piece that builds your own nurturing community! Autistics United: A unique community by Danny Landry and Kit Sullivan Learn about how Kit Sullivan and Danny Landry cooperatively lead WNC s Asperger s Adult/Teen United, more commonly known as Autistics United. A flourishing group that has expanded over the past 5 years, and is in the final stages of gaining Non- profit status. It serves as a social group for people at any stage of life, with interest in things ranging from hiking to video games. With subgroups in ust about every person s interests, if there isn t something for you, we will create it. Not only do Kit and Danny work with the group, they travel to

5 schools, to give talks about what they do, and how Autism has impacted their lives and how they navigate their lives with it, so they can pass on wisdom and insight to the next generation of autistics. The Autistic Traveler by Katherine Oswald "I could never travel the world like you do." When a friend said this to me, I realized that there is no go- to source of information for autistic people who want to travel. The truth is, if you want to travel the world, you can. We will discuss the basics of travel, including how to start, what to pack, transportation and lodging, solo travel, and self- care on the road. There are different travel styles, and many do not include clubbing and staying at hostels! We will talk about finding the right travel style for you.