6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Virtual webinar
Co-sponsored by Lakeland University’s CRU, Justice and Equity Committee and Ulrich Center for Faith, Ethics and Justice
Register below in order to receive a Zoom link to this virtual program.
Please join us for this 60-minute session on the basics of what autism acceptance looks like in practice. With our two speakers, Lakeland student Connor Siemers and local autism specialist Allie Tasche, we’ll explore aspects of neurodiversity and the paradigm shift behind the neurodiversity movement. We will hear about life experiences from the perspectives of individuals on the autism spectrum, highlighting the variability of social, communication, sensory and information processing/styles. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of autism and ways we can encourage inclusion and belonging in our schools and communities.
Allie Tasche is an educator from Wisconsin. She has a bachelor’s degree in cross-categorical special education with certification in Autism Spectrum Disorders and is currently pursuing her Masters of Leadership and Organizational Development at Lakeland University. Tasche has worked in education as a program support teacher, autism instructional coach and learning strategist. She serves on the board of the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin, where she advocates for a preferred future where neurodiversity is understood, accepted and supported. Tasche has lectured and provided professional development for local school districts, at Carroll University and UW-Madison, and nationally at the CAST Symposium: UDL for Social Justice, OCALICON 2018, the StrongerTogether 2020 and the upcoming Inform, Influence, and Innovate Together 2021 conference co-hosted by the Autism Societies of Greater Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Connor Siemers is a current Lakeland student who was diagnosed with Asperger's as a child. The struggles and successes of his life as well as his insights on being in the spectrum will be explored. Connor has many hobbies and passions such as photography, farming at his family farm and trying to make impactful connections.
