26th Annual Alabama Autism Conference
The 26th Annual Alabama Autism Conference is a hybrid professional and community conference focused on current autism research, diagnosis, treatment, education, and support. Scheduled for February 26, 2027, at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa and online, it brings together clinicians, educators, researchers, families, advocates, and autistic people.
Program and speakers
The full-day program combines research with practical clinical and educational guidance. Featured sessions include Joanna Lomas Mevers on elopement and toileting interventions, Daniel Hoover on trauma in autistic children, B. Blair Braden on a topic still to be announced, and a closing keynote/personal perspective from Kaelynn Partlow; Elizabeth Lorah and Sheida Raley are also scheduled for a breakout session.
Research and professional development
The conference is designed to translate emerging autism research into better services and supports, while fostering collaboration across Alabama. Research posters are part of the program, and continuing-education approvals include confirmed hours for nursing, occupational therapy, and social work, with several other professional approvals still pending as of the published program.
Who it serves
The audience is deliberately broad: healthcare professionals, service providers, educators, parents, advocates, researchers, and autistic individuals are all included. That mix distinguishes the event from a narrowly academic research meeting, since sessions are intended to connect evidence with everyday clinical, educational, family, and community practice.
Practical details
The main conference runs 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2027, with registration beginning at 7:00 a.m.; the University calendar lists the broader event window through 5:00 p.m. A separate pre-conference workshop is planned for February 25, and main-conference registration ranges from a $75 student rate to $149 early-bird and $199 standard rates, with additional group and University of Alabama employee rates.