The Autism Plan of Georgia envisions a future where all children with autism and related disorders have access to high-quality, family-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated services and supports. The Center for Leadership in Disability, housed within the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, was awarded the Georgia Autism Planning Grant to help make this vision a reality. In collaboration with the Autism Advisory Council, CLD developed a structured framework for the plan, with the annual Autism Conference and Expo of Georgia emerging as a key initiative.
This year’s conference will be held on May 28. Its theme, “Cultural Perspectives Leading to Impactful Practices,” explores how cultural factors influence the systems and professionals that shape autism services in Georgia.
The project originator of the Autism Conference and Expo is Daniel Crimmins, Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Health. The current lead is Brian Barger, a Research Associate Professor in Georgia State University's Center for Leadership in Disability. Barger has led the conference since 2021, with support from the Georgia Department of Public Health and Autism Plan for Georgia core team members.
"It is meaningful to participate in The Autism Conference and Exposition each year,” Barger said. “ACE is a reminder of the many talented and dedicated families who work to ensure their family members and friends with autism have the best and most opportunities possible. It is also a persistent reminder that the mission of universities to wrestle with 'truth' has real-world implications. Having a space to transparently vet ideas turned into products, programs and policies alongside the families for whom they are intended is a rare opportunity for experts to experience the fruit of their theories as applied with their neighbors."
Raising Awareness and Advocating for Support
Eleven years ago, the Autism Plan of Georgia set out to raise awareness and advocate for greater support and research in autism. According to 2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 59 children in the United States was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 8. In 2025, that number is projected to rise to an estimated 1 in 34 children, highlighting the urgent need to understand the factors driving this significant increase.
Despite increasing awareness of autism, many families experience delays in identification; once identified, many experience challenges obtaining needed services and support. Understanding the facilitators and barriers of identification and service delays is challenging and includes translational challenges across individual, family and systems levels. For example, at the individual and family levels, language is a known substantial factor impacting accessible materials. Additionally, there are well-known barriers/facilitators to identification and service receipt in relation to geography (e.g., rural access), identifying and serving children from different cultural backgrounds, and well-known delays in understanding and identifying autism symptoms in females.
Less well-known but essential are the challenges of interdisciplinary teams translating best practices from their respective fields while working in the community with one another. This year’s Autism Conference and Expo considers the many cultures affecting autism identification and service receipt, including family, community and professional cultures. A unique aspect of this year’s conference is the perspectives of non-traditional experts collaborating with health professionals, families and individuals with autism. It includes collaborations between linguists and health professionals, sociologists and family members, and methodologists with clinicians and individuals with autism. Each collaboration aims to increase understanding between fields, families and individuals with autism in our efforts to work together.
Over the years, the conference has evolved into a vital platform for sharing resources and information about autism. It brings together individuals, families, professionals and organizations to exchange knowledge and strategies for supporting people with autism across Georgia. This collaborative event engages self-advocates, family members, community partners, state agencies, and other key stakeholders to foster meaningful connections and drive greater awareness and advocacy.
“The Autism Conference and Exposition produced through the partnership with the Centers for Leadership in Disabilities (CLD) is essential to the Department of Public Health (DPH) community engagement work in expanding early identification and access to services for young children at risk for autism spectrum disorder,” said Synita Griswell, MPH, Senior Program Manager for Autism Access and Innovation, Department of Public Health. “By providing committed families and stakeholders alike the space and opportunity to discuss enriching solutions with meaningful insight at ACE, DPH can support informed policy decisions and implement targeted interventions that improve outcomes for Georgia’s children and families.”
For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://cld.gsu.edu/autism-conference.
