Autism New Jersey was honored to host a record 1,500 educators, behavior analysts, social workers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, self-advocates, and parents in Atlantic City in October for its 43rd Annual Conference.
Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, Executive Director of Autism New Jersey, kicked off the conference by recognizing the organization’s 60th anniversary this year. She noted how far Autism New Jersey has come, from a small group of parents in search of better lives for their children, to the state’s go-to resource for individuals with autism, their caregivers, and their service providers.
“Even now, as we face so much federal uncertainty, we have a legacy of strength,” Dr. Buchanan told the crowd. “And while we may have a long road ahead of us to realize a future where every individual with autism is safe, healthy, and fulfilled, we have a long road behind us, too. And we hope each of you here draws strength from that legacy.”
At the conference, Dr. Buchanan unveiled the organization’s new mission, vision, and values, along with a new logo and revamped website. She also celebrated Autism New Jersey’s accomplishments over the past year, including the Law Enforcement Initiative’s autism-friendly practices publication; collaboration with lawmakers for measures to enhance the safety of the autism community; and strides with making healthcare systems more autism friendly.
The event’s first keynote speaker, Dr. Adithyan “Dithu” Rajaraman, shared important considerations for addressing severe challenging behavior while promoting dignity and safety. According to Dr. Rajaraman, “Access to behavioral services and professional help for autistic individuals is expanding faster than ever.” He highlighted that as we encounter more individuals who have been underserved and unrepresented, we are likely to encounter more instances of individuals with a history of trauma.
Dr. Rajaraman’s keynote was impactful, and it was a grounded and research-informed perspective on how to support individuals who engage in behaviors such as aggression, self-injury, or elopement. He affirmed that, “It’s my hope that we continue to learn more and do better with a trauma-informed approach to ABA.”
Friday’s keynote focused on the causes of autism, presented by Dr. Chiara Manzini and Dr. Alycia Halladay. Dr. Manzini explained that autism is caused by issues with brain development that start in the womb. “There are many, many genes that can be mutated or altered and function differently during development to lead to different causes of autism,” Dr. Manzini said.
Dr. Halladay later acknowledged the confusion in the autism community regarding whether certain factors cause autism, increase the risk of autism, or are simply correlational. She stressed how correlation does not mean causation – that just because two things happen at the same time does not mean that one caused the other. “Autism is extremely complex, with a huge genetic component,” she emphasized.
In addition to the keynotes, the conference offered more than 60 workshops across two days that covered topics such as creating socially inclusive schools, leveraging AI responsibly, increasing staff performance in adult settings, and supporting siblings of autistic individuals. These sessions were led by experts in fields such as behavior analysis, psychology, and speech-language pathology with speakers from across the United States coming to the event.
This year’s conference was supported by more than 115 exhibitors and 40 sponsors. Autism New Jersey saw its largest exhibit hall to date, with diverse representation from support programs, medical and insurance companies, school systems of care, legal aid, and many other resources for our wide-ranging audience of attendees. We appreciate all our participating organizations and their contributions to providing our attendees with a world-class conference experience. A special thanks to our two platinum sponsors, Your Choice Home Care and Greenwich Autism Alliance Foundation. Our other top-level sponsors included ACE ABA Software, Delta Dental, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. The support of many more gold, silver, and bronze level sponsors helped make our 43rd Annual Conference the best one yet.
Autism mom Kimberly Green traveled all the way to Atlantic City from North Carolina with her adult son Darrell to attend Autism New Jersey’s conference. She said she wanted to learn from the state that has the most resources, and she was grateful for evidence-based workshops that addressed adult disability topics like daily living skills, healthcare, and workforce development.
“Autism New Jersey is the best at multi-track conferences,” Green said.
Mitch Baum, co-chair of the National Council on Severe Autism’s New Jersey chapter, said he has been coming to the conference since his son, now 25, was diagnosed with autism in 2001. He sees it as an opportunity to learn, meet other parents and network.
“As my son’s needs evolved, the conference continued to help educate us on new issues and opportunities,” he said. Baum, whose organization exhibited at the conference, said he talked to parents about the issues facing individuals with severe autism, including group home safety and the proper allocation of funding for research across the spectrum.
Julie Wolff, M.ED., BCBA, LBA, a behavior analyst who works in the public school system, has been attending Autism New Jersey conferences for more than 30 years. Over time, it has grown to cover more professional disciplines, including speech, social work, and physicians. “It has really grown to become more inclusive in many ways,” she said. “I also see a lot more emphasis on culturally sensitive information.
Recorded workshops are now available for all two-day registrants. One-day registrants interested in upgrading for recorded access can email conference@autismnj.org.
Please save the dates for Autism New Jersey’s 44th Annual Conference: October 22 and 23, 2026!
