Building TRUST and Sharing Expertise: Stakeholders Working Together Conference Will Take Place on November 4 & 5, 2022 with vFairs as Technology Partner

The conference will bring together autistic self-advocates, families and caregivers, researchers, and clinicians to discuss the importance of stakeholder engagement in autism research and sensory processing. 

Los Angeles, CA – The University of Southern California Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy will host the Building TRUST and Sharing Expertise: Stakeholders Working Together Conference on the 4th & 5th of November, 2022. The virtual event is free to attend and anyone who is interested in learning more about sensory processing, autism, and stakeholder engagement can register here.

Keynote speakers will include Holly Robinson Peete, Zachary Williams, Kate Boyd, and Virginia Spielmann who will speak about the different stakeholder perspectives and stakeholder engagement in research. Panel sessions will be led by stakeholder group members including autistic self-advocates, caregivers/family members, clinicians, and researchers.

The TRUST project aims to collaborate with various stakeholder groups to enhance current relationships and build new ones. The project is funded by the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program (PCORI #19922-USC). The project has highlighted the unique, collective expertise of multiple stakeholder groups and the lived experiences of autistic individuals and their families. The conference will be brought to you by collaborative efforts of four different stakeholder groups:

• Autistic self-advocates
• Family members and caregivers
• Researchers
• Interdisciplinary services providers, including occupational therapists

During the TRUST conference, participants will be engaged in various sessions that will address research priorities, collect multiple perspectives from all stakeholder groups, and explore the sensory processing differences of the autistic community. Through this project and conference, we aim to improve stakeholder engagement and foster better and more trust-worthy relationships through the implementation of narrative-based strategies. 

To foreground the strengths of the autism community, the conference will also hold a virtual art gallery which will include submissions such as drawings, music, paintings, and more! 

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to engage with the community to foster increased participation in supporting sensory processing differences and strengths for autistic people and their families. We hope you will be able to join us.” said Mary Lawlor. 

“The vFairs platform makes it possible to host collaborative sessions and panel discussions. It is a great fit for conferences like these that are looking to foster trust and build a community around a cause.” said Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs.

The virtual conference includes various sessions including Sensory Processing and Daily Life, Facilitators and Barriers to Research Engagement, and Language and Discourse. Interested attendees can register here. 

About TRUST Conference

The purpose of the TRUST Conference is to highlight multiple perspectives to further understanding of the impact of sensory processing on daily life for autistic individuals. The conference will bring together different stakeholder groups as well as the community at large to discuss ways in which involvement in the TRUST project has facilitated the establishment of a sustainable and impactful alliance of all groups involved. We hope to utilize the collective of multiple perspectives to discuss research priorities of all stakeholder groups, foster trust through the implementation of narrative-based strategies, and evaluate and expand tools to support engagement. Participants will engage in discussions about collaborative ways to move forward with what we have learned through the expertise of our various stakeholder groups about experiences with sensory processing and autism.

Über vFairs

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