Speakers

Emily S. Kuschner, PhD, is a scientist and psychologist with the Department of Radiology and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Haley Moss is a lawyer, neurodiversity expert, and the author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. She is a consultant to top corporations and nonprofits that seek her guidance in creating a diverse workplace, and a sought-after commentator on disability rights issues. The first openly autistic lawyer in Florida, Haley’s books include “Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals” (2021) “The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook” (2021), and “Talking the Talk About Autism: How To Share and Tell Your Story” (2024). Her articles have appeared in outlets including the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Fast Company.

Megan Roberts, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a professor in the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her work focuses on improving access to effective early intervention for toddlers with developmental delays (e.g., autism, hearing loss). This clinically-based line of research examines new ways of identifying autism and different variations of caregiver-mediated communication interventions tailored specifically for different populations of children. Her research has been funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Institute of Education Sciences.

Dr. Scarpa received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California in 1993. She is currently a Professor of Psychology at Virginia Tech, Founder and Director of the Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in individual and group cognitive-behavioral therapy for children, families, and adults. Her general interest is in child and adolescent mental health, with over 30 years of experience in the study of developmental psychopathology. Currently, her work is focused on children, adolescents, and young adults on the autism spectrum. She is interested in evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming services, improving access to care for underserved populations, and other factors that impact emotions and wellbeing in autistic individuals.

Yev Veverka, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Director of Training and Consultation and Clinical Supervisor at the University of Washington Autism Center. Her research interests are in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders, parent and caregiver coaching, mealtime support and intervention, and the reform of the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. With an interdisciplinary team at the UW Haring Center, Dr. Veverka has developed a tiered approach to mealtime supports for early learning settings. They have recently published a book on this topic, Meaningful Mealtimes: Practical Strategies for All Young Eaters. Yev is passionate about the reform of the field of Applied Behavior Analysis to promote equity of service delivery and compassionate care. She strives to disseminate ABA in a way to make it accessible and lead to improvements in quality of life for consumers of the science.

Laci Watkins, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Her research is informed by her prior experience as a special educator and focuses on strategies to support the inclusion of autistic children in schools and communities, social interaction and peer-mediated interventions, social validity of behavioral interventions, improving teacher implementation of evidence-based practices, and statistical analysis of single case experimental design research. Dr. Watkins is also interested in multidisciplinary collaborations in autism research and training, and she is a member of the Texas A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education and the Center on Disability & Development. With her Autism & Inclusion lab group, she and her team are involved in community-based research partnerships seeking to improve outcomes for children with autism and developmental disabilities and their families. Her work has been supported by organizations including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Watkins serves an associate editor of the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities.