Autism in Schools - 2026

Agenda

• 8:30 am - 9:00 am

  Registration Opens

• 9:00 am - 9:20 am

  Conference Opening

• 9:20 am - 9:35 am

  Keynote Presentation - Andrew Radford

  Andrew is a proud man with an Intellectual Disability and is an advocate for people with disability. He has presented at Autism Asia Pacific Conference APAC in Singapore in 2019 and has presented at the annual VALID Having a Say Conference in Geelong. Andrew will be sharing his insights and advice for educators on improving the experience of school for autistic students.

• 9:35 am - 10:35 am

  Keynote Presentation - Dr Stephen Shore

  Dr. Stephen Shore is an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University. He has written books that include: College for Students with Disabilities, Understanding Autism for Dummies, Ask and Tell, and Beyond the Wall.  Stephen will be sharing his professional and personal experience, and talking on the 4 A's of autism.

• 10:35 am - 11:00 am

  Morning Tea

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

  Friendship Symposium

  Join Dr Matt Harrison and Jess Rowlings from the University of Melbourne, along with Audrey Amalfi from Delacombe Primary School, and a student panel to hear a range of perspectives on how to support student connection and friendship at school

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

  Self-Advocacy Symposium

  How can we empower autistic students to play an active role in their own learning? At this symposium, Dr Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University, will share insights on supporting autistic students' self-advocacy, accompanied by Matthew McLaren and a parent from Dromana College, exploring how secondary schools and parents can work as allies to create the conditions for students to develop their agency.

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

  Inclusive Education Symposium

  What does current research and the autistic community tell us about best practice in Australian schools? Dr Dawn Adams will share information about the development of the Draft National Guidelines for Best Practice in Inclusive Education for Autistic Students, alongside Deborah Moloney from Furlong Park School for Deaf Children, who will present a school-based case-study.

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

  Collaborating with Families Symposium

  This symposium explores how case conferencing brings teams together to improve wellbeing, social connection, and learning outcomes for autistic learners. Join Claire Kirk and Sarah Turner from Western Autistic School to learn a model for case-conferencing in schools. Following this, attendees will hear directly from parents as they share their firsthand stories of navigating the school system. They will discuss practical ways to build trust, overcome barriers, and foster genuinely respectful partnerships.

• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

  Lunch

• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

  Supporting Regulation in the Classroom

  Join Dr David Moseley (Clinical Psychologist) and Dr Chloe Emonson (Research Fellow) from Monash University, as they explore why some children struggle with regulation in the classroom and what we can do to help. This session will present a variety of practical frameworks, tools, evidence-based programs, and the AllPlay online resources designed to support children's participation in school settings.

• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

  Understanding and Supporting Autistic Student's Sensory Experiences at School

  Many autistic learners have routine, everyday, and often very distressing neurodivergent sensory experiences, impacting participation, mental health, and wellbeing. As autistic and neurodivergent sensory experiences are fundamentally internal, happening within the mind of the person having them, they are frequently overlooked or dismissed. Even serious efforts to understand neurodivergent sensory experiences have sometimes been based on assumptions that we now know to be mistaken. Patrick will present up-to-date research and correct some of these myths and misunderstandings. We will also discuss some of the key factors that can promote better sensory experiences, and the importance and challenge of individual agency and control in busy, shared sensory environments.

• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

  Building Positive Relationships with Diverse Learner Families

  This presentation explores some of the unique challenges families of diverse learners face when building relationships with schools. For example, navigating complex communication systems, differences in communication style, and varying experiences and levels of trust in education providers. It will discuss key barriers and emerging opportunities for collaboration, highlighting how schools and families can work together to better support students.

• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

  Pathways to Possibility - Inclusive Transitions

  Join Anne Southall and colleagues to hear about their recent research investigating current practice preparing young people in specialist schools for life beyond the classroom. The study brought together international research as well as the voices of students, families, educators and school leaders to reveal not only what is working, but what is possible. In this practical workshop you'll hear insights from the research, and have opportunity to reflect on how these might be applied to transition planning in your own setting.

• 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

  Afternoon Tea

• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

  Keynote Presentation - Katie Gaudion

  Katie will share how co-designing with neurodivergent individuals has shaped supportive, sensory-friendly environments across homes, healthcare, and public spaces. Specifically, she will highlight her "Design for Mind - Sensory Cards," a practical visual tool that captures the sensory experiences of autistic adults and children to demonstrate the power of embedding lived experience early in the design process.

• 4:00 pm - 4:15 pm

  Conference Close