The 3rd Annual Luv Michael Conference: An Autism Friendly Community Model

Chapter Three · Setting Up for Success After School

For families raising autistic young adults, aging out of school is one of the most uncertain — and consequential — transitions of their lives. Wait lists stretch a decade or more. Quality programs are rare. Fear is constant.

The 3rd Annual Luv Michael Conference takes a fresh look at adult autism care — through a new lens, with current science, updated research, and a model that's already working. It's a blueprint families and organizations can take home, so no one has to start from zero.

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, clinician, researcher, or community member, this is a space for connection, education, and empowerment — and a vision of a future where every autistic adult can live a safe, healthy, and joyful life.

Together — we will collaborate. Conversations on the key components of building an autism friendly model and how to share them across organizations, regions, and families.

Practice — we will empower. Insightful talks, expert panels, and real-world case studies that give communities the tools to replicate and adapt models that work.

Joy — we will celebrate. Coming together to celebrate diversity, growth, and the transformative power of love in building resilient, compassionate communities.

A series of TED Talk–style 15–20 minute talks plus a moderated panel on residential models that are actually working.

• Dr. John Gaitanis, NIH — Keynote: The current state of medical evaluation and care for individuals with a diagnosis of autism
• Dr. Maria Kontaridis, Masonic Medical Research Institute — Bench science of autism: where the research stands today
• Dr. Margery Satish — The comorbidities of autism that are too often overlooked in evaluation and adult care
• Dr. Kimberly Reyes‑Giordano, Luv Michael — Behavioral medicine in the autistic adult community (panel moderator)
• Dr. David Forlano, DDS PC — Dentistry for autistic adults: a better approach, with real‑world results
• Jackie Ceonzo, CEO & Founder of SNACK — Thirty years of community classes and advocacy for the special needs community.
• Alison Myers, Invictus / Spellers Bakery — Supported communication and introducing communication tools to adults who have never had access to them
• Chelsea Hedquist PhD, BCBA, LABA, New England Child Center — Transition coordination case study: from a restricted setting to Luv Michael Homes
• David Cooke — A voice from the spectrum on communication, autonomy, and what success looks like from the inside