Autistic Community Summit

We’re seeking speakers for the 2024 Autistic Community Summit!

We’re looking for autistic individuals who have wisdom and expertise to share with their community to speak at this year’s Summit.

The date for this year’s Autistic Community Summit has not been finalized, but it will take place on one of these dates: November 2, 9, or 16. Breakout sessions will happen between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the chosen date.

The Summit Committee will schedule each session for a specific time slot. This year, speakers can present for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. There will be an in person, live event at a venue that has not been chosen yet, however presenters are welcome to present virtually if they are more comfortable. There are usually 12 breakout sessions at the Summit, which means that we will likely need to turn down some of our applicants. We ask that all presentations have at least one neurodivergent speaker.

If you get chosen and present at the Summit, you will get paid $75 and you will get to attend the rest of the Summit for free. All speakers will be paid, no matter how long you speak for.

Full details about speaking are available in the application form.

This year, the Autistic Community Summit will have a theme: Service, Connection, and Change in the Community. We don’t expect every speaker to fit within this theme, but if you can connect your topic to the theme it will have a stronger chance of being accepted. As part of the theme, we’re looking for presentations that focus on the ways that autistics can support one another and give back to their larger communities, whether through volunteering, work, mentorship, advocacy, or creating their own autistic-led initiatives. This year’s Summit will have discussions about how autistics can connect more with other people, and through those connections make positive changes. Building authentic connections within our community fosters solidarity and mutual growth, while extending these connections to the wider society promotes understanding and inclusion. 

Applications are due Aug. 2, 2024.

APPLY

If you would like to work on your answers in a Microsoft Word document, you can find the questions here. Please submit your final answers through the form linked above.

If you have questions about completing this application or your presentation, please email Zephyr at zjames@ausm.org.