INTEGRAL’s mission is to close the gap between the many unmet needs of autistic adults and the very limited research on the needs, strengths, goals, and values of autistic adults. Our approach to addressing this problem is to bring autistic adults (who have the life experience) together in the same place with non-autistic parents and professionals (who have the influence and resources) in order to learn from each other and figure out how to collaborate better.
This year, INTEGRAL’s theme is Making Contact. While this has always been our mission, this year we are focusing on direct contact between autistic adults and their supporters, on the one hand, and representatives of major social systems in our area, on the other hand. We have invited members of the Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management (GRM SHRM) and Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to participate in our session about autistic-adult workplace challenges, and we have invited members of LifeStance, [Rogers Behavioral Health], and [UW Health] to to participate in our session about autistic-adult mental health and suicidality.
Businesses, governmental departments, and nonprofit organizations like these are tremendously influential in the lives of autistic adults, yet their understanding of autistic adult needs, strengths, goals, and values, is almost always very limited, or even outdated. Autistic adults and other people who have the knowledge of what needs to change don’t have the political influence to make that change, while the institutions that have the political power to make change happen don’t have the knowledge of what needs to change or why. Perhaps, through places of contact like this year’s INTEGRAL, that disconnection can eventually be overcome, and both the knowledge and the power for change can come together to make things happen.
We welcome everyone connected to autism to be part of the conversation at INTEGRAL 2023 - your perspective, your experience, and your input matter.
e a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of our local community. From providing food and shelter to those in need to offering educational programs and support services, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those around us. By supporting Integral Conference, you are supporting your community and helping to build a brighter future for all.