Speakers

Dr. Kramer’s research draws upon theoretical concepts and methodologies from occupational therapy, disability studies, education and rehabilitation to: 1) Partner with youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the development and evaluation of rehabilitation products; 2) Develop community-based interventions that equip youth with I/DD and their families with the skills to identify and resolve environmental barriers to participation; and 3) Design high quality patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) using contemporary measurement approaches. Dr. Kramer uses quantitative, qualitative, and participatory approaches to design projects that harness the optimal method needed to answer complex research questions and meet the needs of multiple stakeholders, including youth and young adults with disabilities, their families, and rehabilitation professionals. Dr. Kramer’s occupational therapy practice experience is with enabling children and youth ages 3 to 20 with multiple, severe disabilities to participate and learn in a public school setting.

Lauren Little, Ph.D., OTR/L, has a clinical background in occupational therapy and a PhD in Occupational Science. Little’s expertise is in intervention for families of children with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She has practiced occupational therapy in early intervention settings and has been involved in numerous research projects for young children with ASD. Little has conducted research on the efficacy of telehealth for families of young children with ASD, and is active in state and national organizations to promote access to intervention services for underserved families of children with developmental conditions.​

Dr. Kerry Magro, Ed.D. is an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author and autism consultant to the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher and the latest season of Netflix’s Emmy-Award Winning Series ‘Love on the Spectrum U.S.’ He started professional speaking 12 years ago via the National Speakers Association after he fell in love with theater as a child to help with his social and communication skills. Today he has spoken at over 1200 events during that time include 2 TEDx Talks and a ‘Talks at Google’ presentation. In addition, Kerry is CEO & President of KFM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided 100 scholarships for students with autism for college and counting since 2011. In his spare time, he hosts a Facebook Page called Kerry’s Autism Journey that now has 253,000 Facebook followers where he does on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by a diagnosis to breaking down barriers in our community. His videos he’s produced have been watched over 35 Million times.

Mallory has been a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist for over a decade. She graduated from The University of Alabama with Bachelor and Master degrees in Communication Disorders. She is the owner of Discovery Speech Therapy LLC, a private speech therapy clinic, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which specializes in the evaluation and treatment of pediatric feeding and communication disorders. She also serves Early Intervention families under Community Service Programs of West Alabama. Mallory is an approved vendor for the Disability Determination Service for communication evaluations. In addition, Mallory is an autism mentor through the Part C: Autism Initiative Project and conducts and speaks at learning collaboratives across the state. When she isn’t getting paid to play, you’ll find her cruising around Tuscaloosa in her mommy mobile with husband Mitch, and their two kiddos Sammie Jo (3) and Trace (2).

Pamela Ramsey is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 35 years of experience. She graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Education in Speech Language Pathology and a Master of Communications Disorders. She served as a speech pathologist in the public-school setting for 25 years. The focus of those years was identifying, evaluating, and serving children ages 3 to 6 years of age following the Alabama Administrative Code. She assisted in establishing the HAPIE Program (Helping Auburn Preschoolers – Intervening Early) for Auburn City Schools. While in that role, she was the liaison between the Auburn Autism Center, the Little Tree and the HAPIE Program. During her tenure with Auburn City Schools, she served as the technology coordinator for the Auburn Early Education Center. Currently, she serves as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a variety of counties for Alabama’s Early Intervention System. She recently became an Autism Mentor through the Part C: Autism Initiative Project and organizes, conducts, and speaks at learning collaboratives statewide.

Dr. Brittany Travers is an Associate Professor and Carla and Mike Austin Faculty Fellow in the Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama, earning her PhD in Cognitive Psychology in 2011. Her overarching program of research, housed at the Waisman Center, focuses on the intersection between sensorimotor skills and neurobiology in autistic and non-autistic individuals. Specifically, she focuses on how motor development may serve as a window into neuroanatomy, core social communication features, and skill development. This line of inquiry has led to a strong interest in the brainstem. She also examines how motor differences impact the daily lives and occupations of autistic and non-autistic individuals, and whether novel interventions targeting motor skills can support enhanced daily living skills.

Dr. Susan White is Professor and Doddridge Saxon Chair in Clinical Psychology at The University of Alabama, where she directs the Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI). Her research spans multiple areas in developmental psychopathology, with primary focus on mechanism-driven intervention for co-occurring and core problems in autism. In addition to authoring over 200 books, chapters, and research articles, Dr. White has worked as a clinician in private practice and in residential inpatient settings, cementing her belief in the importance of research and evidence-based practice being mutually informative.