Autism Conference | chatt-autism-center

14th Annual Chattanooga Autism Conference

REGISTRATION CLOSED

The deadline was August 30, and we have reached capacity. We cannot accept late registrations.

Check back for future events.

When: Friday, September 6, 2024
Where: Chattanooga Convention Center

Who should attend? Parents, teachers, clinicians, autistic adults, medical professionals, family members...

Agenda: See a list of presentations and times and rooms here.

Registration (Deadline: Aug. 30): CLOSED

CONFERENCE DETAILS FOR REGISTERED ATTENDEES:

Location: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402

In-Person Only: There is no virtual or hybrid option for this event.

Parking: Attendees are responsible for the cost of parking. Here are some options:

The garage at the Marriott and Convention Center is the closest and most convenient. Address: 2 Carter Plaza, Chattanooga, TN, 37402
The Republic lot at 11th and Carter Street is the next closest parking area. It is outdoors but close.
You might be able to find metered street parking or other options nearby earlier in the morning.

Check-In:

Check-in opens at 7:45am. Lines are shorter early on and get longer later in the morning.
You do not need to bring a ticket or registration confirmation.
You’ll pick up your goody bag, program, and name badge at check-in.
The check in tables are located outside Exhibit Hall C/D. Follow the signs for the Chattanooga Autism Conference.
Please note the signs telling you which line to get in based on your last name.
Presentations start at 8:30 sharp, so you’ll want to arrive early enough to check in before that starts.

Certificates of Attendance: Teachers and some other professionals can use these for continuing education credits. Certificates are free and will be available at the end of the conference at the check-in table. Only one per person. These certificates will not be given out early. They are meant to certify that the person attended the full conference.

CEUs: If you registered for CEUs*, you will need to sign a separate check-in and check-out sheet. Watch for another email from us with details.

*Our conference has been approved for 5 contact hours (0.5 CEUs) through Chattanooga State whose accrediting body is SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). You must choose the CEU option during registration to earn these credits. AND, you must complete the CEU survey at the end of the conference. Clinicians and certain professionals like social workers, nurses, PTs, OTs, COTAs can typically receive 5 contact hours (0.5 CEUs) from these certificates. However, we recommend all licensed professionals check with their governing bodies and confirm that our CEUs work for them. Note, these CEUs are not pre-approved for APA, BACB, or ASHA. If you are seeking these types of CEUs you can contact your governing body to see if they will serve as "Type B" or Level II optional CEUs. For example, APA has considered these CEUs to be Level II in the past.

Exhibitor room: Exhibitors will be set up by 7:45. There are over 70 local autism-related agencies represented! Go check them out after checking in, between presentations, and during lunch. Coffee and water will be available in the Exhibit Hall all day. Click here to see a list of exhibitors.

Conference Agenda: The agenda is attached and shows the rooms and times for each presentation. You do not have to stay in one track all day, and you don't have to stick with the one you picked during registration. In fact, we highly encourage you to attend whichever talks sound like the best fit, even if they are in different tracks. Click here for descriptions of each talk.

Presentations and Etiquette:

Welcome announcements start at 8:25am in the rooms and presentations start at 8:30.
Phones should be turned to vibrate and people should leave the room to use phones or talk.
We respectfully ask attendees to not talk with each other during presentations. These are very important sessions for many parents, teachers, and other people who are eager to be attending and learning.
Noises and side conversations may be especially distracting to neurodivergent people who may be in the audience.
We've also been asked by some autistic adults to request that attendees not wear too much perfume. Strong perfume can often be very aversive to some people with sensory issues.

We do not provide childcare or kids activities: This conference is best for older teens and adults. Please plan for childcare accordingly.

Lunch:

Lunch will be served buffet style and will include picnic-ish foods such as salad, sandwiches, wraps, cookies, chips, and iced tea.
Attendees can get their lunches as soon as the presentation ends at noon.
We will have short announcements during lunch. Attendees are encouraged to check out exhibitors and visit the silent auction. There will not be a keynote speaker or any presentations during this time.

Dietary Restrictions: Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan lunch options are available! You can ask the catering staff to direct you based on your dietary needs.

Coffee / Water: Coffee and water will be available for free in the exhibitor hall all day.

Silent Auction:

Items will be set up on tables in the hallway outside presentation rooms.
Write bids on bid sheets next to items throughout the morning.
Auction ends at 1:20pm sharp. Highest bids on sheets are winners.
Attendees can stop by during breaks between presentations to pay for their winning item. Credit cards/cash/checks accepted.
Proceeds go to the Chattanooga Autism Center.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have questions between now and then, you can contact us using the information below and we’ll get back to you as we’re able. We appreciate your patience this week as we finalize everything.

Sincerely,

Amber Doolittle

Conference Coordinator, Assistant Director

amber@chattanoogaautismcenter.org

423-708-8902

Dave Buck, PhD

Executive Director, Chattanooga Autism Center

dave@chattanoogaautismcenter.org

423-708-8901