Annual Conference With John Elder Robison - Order Your Tickets Today!

Time is running out to register for the South Carolina Autism Society's Annual Conference featuring John Elder Robison as Keynote Speaker! Tickets are going fast, so order yours today!

Date: Friday, October 7, 2016
Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: $50 per person, includes lunch

Location: Medallion Conference Center,
7309 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC  29209

Click here for more information and to register.

Keynote Speaker: John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison grew up with Asperger’s Syndrome, and was undiagnosed until the age of 40. He nevertheless lived an incredible life. In his new book Switched On, he describes how a powerful brain therapy has allowed him to sense others’ feelings, and claim a newfound emotional intelligence. A leading voice on autism, he implores audiences to find strengths where others see weaknesses.

John Elder Robison is the Neurodiversity Scholar in Residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He is an active participant in the ongoing discussion of ethical and legal issues relating to autism therapy, services, and intervention. He is particularly interested in improving quality of life for those people living with autism today—both autistic people and family members. He’s been a member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and he serves on other boards for the US National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and private organizations. He’s co-founder of a high school program for teens with developmental challenges in Springfield, MA.

Keynote Topic:Hiring on the Spectrum: Neurodiversity at the Workplace

People with autism often have special skills, especially in the fields of math, engineering, and technology. In this talk, John Elder Robison shares his story of life on the autism spectrum and as the founder of the only program that teaches a trade to special education students in a real-world environment. He reveals why companies should take an active role in hiring the neurodiverse, and navigates the benefits and pitfalls for both employer and employee. We can harness people’s special skills, he says, by looking for gifts instead of limitations. There’s much to be gained—for your bottom line, for the autistic person you employ, and for society at large—when hiring someone on the spectrum.