Event Details
About the Second Annual Multidisciplinary Care of Autistic Youth Conference
This two-day virtual event will take place on Thursday, January 22nd and Friday, January 23rd, 2026, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm EST. A recording of the event will be available upon request.
The conference is open to all members of the community, including mental health and pediatric professionals and trainees, parents and patients.
The panel of providers includes specialists from the following disciplines: psychology, child neurology, sleep medicine, genetics, gastroenterology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, nutrition, psychiatry, developmental pediatrics and family navigators. Providers from each specialty will present information related to their particular specialty to provide background information and will discuss indications for referral to their particular specialty for further evaluation and provision of care.
Registration
Conference Agenda
DAY 1: January 22, 2026
8:30 am – 9:00 am
Autism Diagnostic Criteria and Clinical Assessment
Amy Lemelman, Ph.D.
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Differential Diagnosis of ASD and ADHD
Hallie Brown, Ph.D.
9:30 am – 10:00 am
Social Media and Autism Diagnosis: Considerations for Clinicians
Elisabeth Sheridan, Ph.D.
10:00 am – 10:15 am
Bio Break
10:15 am – 10:45 am
Autism in Females
Sylvie Goldman, Ph.D.
10:45 am – 11:15 am
The Language of Care: Balancing Clinical Tradition with Neurodiversity Perspective
Cynthia Martin, Psy.D.
11:15 am – 11:30 am
Bio Break
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Panel Discussion: Self-Advocates’ Experiences: Medical Visits
Nicole Smart; Julius Towers, J.D., MPH; Jacalyn Lee; Ronni Miller
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 – 1:30 pm
Autism and Gastrointestinal System: What to Do and What to Consider
Tom Ciecierega, M.D.
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Common Nutritional Deficiencies in Autistic Children
Cristine Del Pizzo, R.D.
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
An Overview of Feeding Therapy for the Autistic Patient
Jennifer Kissel, SLP
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Bio Break
2:45 pm – 3:05 pm
Staring, is it Seizure or Not? Deciphering Epilepsy in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Wendy Silver, M.D.
3:05 pm – 3:30 pm
Decoding Symptoms: When Autism Warrants Neurological Evaluation
Jennifer Bain, M.D., Ph.D.
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Genetics Evaluation and Testing for Autism
Lakshmi Mehta, M.D.
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Sleep: When to Refer to Sleep Medicine
Arezou Heshmati, M.D.
DAY 2: January 23, 2026
8:30 am – 9:00 am
Role of the Developmental Pediatrician in the Multi-Disciplinary Care of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Betsy Poole-DiSalvo, M.D.
9:00 – 9:30 am
IDEA, Early Intervention and Preschool Services: Special Education Law, Services and Advocacy
Gabriella Paskin, M.D.
9:30 am – 10:00 am
School Supports for Students with Autism: An Overview for Individuals Ages 3-21
Gazi Azad, Ph.D.
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Support Services in the Community
Lissbeth Santos, B.A.; Ivelisse Ferreira, B.S., M.S.
10:30 am – 10:45 am
Bio Break
10:45 am – 11:05 am
The Science of Profound Autism
Alycia Halladay, Ph.D.
11:05 am – 11:45 am
Guardianship
Maria Campigotto, J.D.
11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm – 1:40 pm
Diagnosing and Treating Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions
Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, M.D.
1:40 pm – 2:10 pm
Recognizing and Addressing Suicide Risk Among Youth on the Autism Spectrum
Pankhuree Vandana, M.D.
2:10 pm – 2:30 pm
An Inpatient Psychiatry Consultation Model
Jamie Winter, Ph.D., BCBA
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Bio Break
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Autistic Children and Adolescents -Ingredients for Success
Renae Beaumont, Ph.D.
3:15 pm – 3:45 pm
Targeting Social Skills in Adolescence and Adulthood
Michelle Gorenstein-Holtzman, Psy.D.
3:45 pm – 4:05 pm
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions
Jamie Winter, Ph.D., BCBA
4:05 pm – 4:15 pm
Closing Remarks
Monica Pozzuoli, M.D., MPH; Jennifer Bain, M.D., Ph.D.
Featured Speakers
Coming soon
Learning Objectives
Coming soon
Planning Committee
Jennifer Bain, M.D., Ph.D.
Amy Lemelman, Ph.D.
Monica Pozzuoli, M.D., MPH
Karen Tang, Ph.D.
Cancellation Policy
Coming soon
Contact Us
For more information, please contact Stephanie Harper at sth4009@med.cornell.edu.
