Who is Lonnie Belfer? History and philosophy of Avia Employment Services. Customized employment and assessment services explained. Comprehensive assessments. Thriving in the workforce. Coaching and continued supports. How companies thrive. Ableism - how it affects our community and how to eradicate it. Minimal qualifications needed. The prospective company process. What he loves about his work. His success stories. Autism in his own words.

Happy Autism Awareness Day and what today mean to our panel. The power of words and language with autism regarding our community. Autistic vs has autism. Non-speaking vs non-verbal. Issues of talking about someone present like they aren’t there. High-functioning vs low functioning. How to subscribe to our Autism 30 Monthly Newsletter.

Welcome back. Who is our new member Jess? How you our audience can ask our panel questions. Your questions answered: How do you always deal with other parents asking you for help? What do you say to doctors who want to give your information with new perspective parents?

Clarifying myths about autism in the media and what is needed. Ableism explained and how it affects members of our community. His role as a Mentor and Board of Director for Semiahmoo House Society. His responsibility on the Advisory Board for Inclusion BC the Provincial Inclusion BC Inclusive BC Task Force, and his goals. His job with Voices of Autism at (Pacific Autism Family Network) PAFN’s Goodlife Fitness Hub. Provincial Voting Initiative. How he uses his voice to help empower our community. His leadership in Ottawa. Why Alexander’s voice and Public Speaking matters, how to hire him, and enquire about his schedule. What he would like us to know about him. Who is wonderful Jillian and what is ‘Team Alex’ from her own voice. Jillian’s role and her devoted passion to help our community. Autism in his own words.

How do meltdowns feel. How to support our community members and their parents. Sensory issues and autism, and advice for parents. Eye contact discussed. Fidgeting and fidget spinners. Dignity and autism. Stories about Alexander’s mother and how she helped him. How other children/peers help growth. Have high expectations. Welcoming the world in. Challenge the sensory issue. Factors that helped him be the person he is today. His purpose in life. How his public speaking career began and what he loves about it. Why he believes advocacy is so important. What he wants the world to know about autism. His goals and message to others.

Who is Mr. Alexander Magnussen? His childhood and challenges. Autism language and book ideas. His school experiences. The importance of inclusive education and EAs. Autism misconceptions and myths. Why being social is vital and practice is key. Learning rules, manners, and boundaries. There’s always hope. How the autistic brain works “computer files.” The waiting times to get an answer. Hyper aware. Decompression time. How emotions are felt. Stimming. Why he feels it is important to answer parents’ questions during his lectures. His passion to educated people about autism. His thoughts about the spectrum.

Who is Allie? This history of the Vancouver Asperger Autism Union (The AU). The philosophy of the AU. The greatest gift that the AU offers society. What she loves about it. Understanding stimming. “Get it”. How the Union helped Allie. Her diagnosis story and when to disclose. Accommodations. How have things changed for her at 18 years old. Anxiety and autism. What she would like to see in society. Numbers. Who’s welcome. When and where are meetings. Duration. Speakers and topics. Ways that the AU is different. Events. Social media. Advice for others wanting to start a group of their own. Special interests.

Who is Carol Simpson? The history of Focus Professional Services Inc. Why she created the company. The Company manifesto. What they do. Neurodiversity consulting. Why language is so important. Their business model. Different levels explained. How the companies benefit. Focus on strengths. Ableism explained and how they are working to combat it. Why our community can excel. Preconceived ideas eradicated “myths”. Manual software testing. Data Cleansing and Migration. Automated testing, etc. Where is the focus for business? Neurodiversity in the workplace and training. Transition of knowledge. Support offered. How to apply and prerequisites needed. The interview process and testing. Employment readiness. Biggest challenges. Her success stories. The continuum of being a human being. Gratitude, grace and Advocacy. Autism in her own words.

Who is Ms. Nicole Provost? The history of The Mayday Club Youth Choir for Neurodiversity. The philosophy and goal of the choir. Performances and how to book them. Benefits of being part of and watching the group. Why “boring” is a great term. What she’s learned about herself directing and what it’s meant to her. Why she is so inspiring and a gift to our community. How to start your own choir. How to join the choir. The maximum and minimum ages of participants. Who is welcome to assist, volunteer, and others (photographers, film students, etc.). Success Stories. Future goals and ambitions. Autism in her own words. How to buy their Music.

Clarifying the myth about autism, empathy and honesty. Non-generalized object permanence. Techniques to teach. Connection and feelings. Challenges that our community members face. Fluctuating capacity. Single-mindedness. Important of context and setting. Barriers faced and how to overcome. Looking beyond the behaviour. Benefits of autism. How to connect. What Dr. Wenn would like the world to learn about his extensive body of literary work and his teachings. Sensory issues and what he wishes and hopes for from society. Useful technology. What he wants the world to know about autism.