Dr. Tasreen Alibhai

Tasreen Alibhai, N.D., is the Medical Director of Vitalia Health Care and the Canadian Hyperbaric Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of British Columbia, and her Doctoral of Naturopathic Medicine at Seattle’s Bastyr University. She completed her advanced Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Training program at Hyperbarics International in Key Largo, Florida. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, and an expert in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, chelation IV therapy, mesotherapy and environmental medicine.

Keri Bowers, Filmmaker & Mother of a Son with Autism

Having worked in the disabilities field for over 18 years, Keri’s hands-on work with kids and adults, parenting a child with special needs, and full-time work in the non-profit sector and advocacy have turned Keri into a speaker not to be missed. Keri’s talks have audiences waiting for the key secrets she shares in the arts and other innovational ideas for interventions for disabled individuals. “Normies” – or individuals without disabilities also find the film and talks fascinating and informative.

Anita Bratt

Dr. Anita Bratt BSc, ND attended the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and Bastyr University before completing her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine in 2005 at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. She practices in North Vancouver with a special focus on the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Bratt is a Defeat Autism Now! physician experienced in treating over 450 patients with the biomedical approach for ASD. Dr. Bratt hosted the first Outreach Clinic for Autism /ADHD in Western Canada in conjunction with The Great Plains Laboratory in 2007, with follow up clinics in 2009 and 2010. Dr. Bratt is a published author of autism-related articles and has been a speaker at numerous conferences about the topic of ASD. She is board-certified in Chelation Therapy and Pharmaceutical prescribing. Dr. Bratt is the mother of 3 children, including a teenage son with autism.

Mark Bulgutch

Mark Bulgutch earned his journalism degree at Carleton University, got a summer job as an intern at CBC TV News in Montreal, and has worked at CBC ever since. He’s been a reporter, a producer, and a line-up editor at both the local level and at The National. He is now the senior executive producer of CBC TV News Programming, and has won several Gemini Awards for live special events.

He has taught at Concordia and began teaching Broadcast Reporting at Ryerson in 1987. He’s also co-authored two books on Canadian history, Canadian By Conviction and Defining Canada: History, Identity, and Culture.

Eustacia Cutler

Eustacia Cutler is the mother of four children. Her oldest child is Temple Grandin, who has become a successful person with autism in the world today. Eustacia is a graduate of Harvard. She has been a band singer at the Pierre Hotel, New York City, performed and written for theatre and cabaret, and written for major television networks.

Her current book, “A Thorn in My Pocket” describes raising Temple in the conservative world of the 1950′s.

Eustacia was one of the first to tread new water as she overcame the difficulties of “challenging the system”. Like every parent and teacher, she wanted the best for her child. She understands the myth, reality, angst, and guilt a family experiences in society. She is where you will be in the future: looking back on the things you did to help you. When the “system” is not meeting the needs of your child, you must be creative and design your own program. Piece by piece, you and your child can develop a meaningful, interrelated reality.

William Davis

Bill Davis began speaking for and representing his son, Chris, to give him a voice. He quickly became a stellar advocate for children and adults with autism. Bill is the author of two books: Breaking Autism’s Barriers: A Father’s Story and Dangerous Encounters: Avoiding Perilous Situations With Autism. Davis speaks throughout the country, at universities and before Congress. He has trained hundreds of Emergency Service Responders, served as an expert witness and written numerous articles for autism journals. Bill is the past President of the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Chapter of The Autism Society of America (ASA), a representative for Unlocking Autism, and recipient of Temple University’s ‘End of The Victim’s Silence’ Advocacy Award.

Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh

Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD) and President of the Board of Autism Care and Treatment Today (ACT Today!). Dr. Granpeesheh received her Ph.D. in Psychology from UCLA and is licensed by the Medical Board of California, the Texas State Board of Psychologists and the Arizona State Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Dr. Granpeesheh holds a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has been providing behavioral therapy since 1979. In 1990, Dr. Granpeesheh founded the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD) and through its 20 offices world wide, she has provided diagnosis, assessment and behavioral treatment for thousands of children with autism and related disorders.

In 2005, Dr. Granpeesheh founded ACT Today!, a non-profit organization that provides support and funding to families of children with Autism. In addition, Dr. Granpeesheh is also a principle member of the Thoughtful House Center for Children, a charity organization that provides behavioral services in collaboration with medical treatment and research.

Dr. Granpeesheh is member of the Defeat Autism Now Executive Council, on the Scientific Advisory Board of the US Autism and Asperger’s Association and First Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors of the Autism Society of America. Dr. Granpeesheh is also the executive director and co-producer of the award-winning documentary, RECOVERED: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back.

Elaine Hall “Coach E”

Elaine Hall, “Coach E”, the founder of The Miracle Project as seen in the award winning, 5 times Emmy award nominated, HBO documentary, Autism: The Musical, shares her unique experiences using theater and the arts to bring out the best in children with autism. Elaine Hall has been called many things in her multi-faceted and accomplished life including: educator, writer, consultant, performer, and professional acting coach for television and film artists. She has written and directed over thirty children’s plays. More recently, Elaine has been called “mother” to son Neal, and the media have deemed her, “The Child Whisperer”, based on the extraordinary and compelling theater arts program she innovated for children like Neal, with Autism called, “The Miracle Project”, and the awe inspiring results the work has delivered.

Shannon Kenitz

Degreed in psychology, Shannon Kenitz is the Executive Director of the International Hyperbarics Association, a non-profit organization that promotes Hyperbaric Therapy through education and research. Shannon Kenitz knows firsthand the heartbreak and struggles of having a child with a disability. Her youngest daughter, Grace, was diagnosed with a very rare mitochondrial disorder that kept her in the hospital virtually for the first three years of her life. Grace more recently has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Shannon did not accept the recommendation to cease life-prolonging measures. And because of that, Grace progressed to feed herself, recover from blindness, and at almost 7-years old, walk for the first time on January 20, 2006. Shannon has interviewed for the Montel Williams show and has a book and movie forthcoming.

David Kirby

David Kirby has been a professional journalist for over 15 years, and has written for The New York Times for the past eight years. Kirby was a contracted writer with the weekly City Section at The Times, where he covered public health, local politics, art and culture, film and theater, architecture, zoning and land use, among many other subjects. Currently, Kirby has contributed to The Magazine, Arts & Leisure, Personal Health, Men’s Health, Science Times, Escapes, Travel, Weekend and other sections of the paper. Kirby has also written for a number of national magazines, including Glamour, Redbook, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, Self, Art News, and others. In addition, Kirby was a foreign correspondent in Mexico and Central America from 1986-1990, where he covered the wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and covered politics, corruption and natural disasters in Mexico. From Latin America, he reported for UPI, the San Francisco Examiner, Newsday, The Arizona Republic, Houston Chronicle and the NBC Radio Network.

Kirby has also worked in politics, medical research and public relations. He worked for New York City Council President Carol Bellamy as a special assistant for healthcare, cultural affairs and civil rights, followed by employment as chief scheduler to Manhattan Borough President David N. Dinkins. He also was a senior staff adviser to Dinkins’ successful 1989 run for Mayor of New York City. From 1990-1993, Kirby was Director of Public Information at the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), where he acted as press spokesman for Chairwoman Elizabeth Taylor, and witnessed first-hand the inner workings of Congress, the White House and powerful Federal agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH. Kirby also ran his own public relations agency in New York for four years, from 1993 through 1996, with clients that included the National Cancer Institute, AmFAR, ABC, BBC, Absolut Vodka, Dean Witter Discover & Co., and others.

Lori Knowles

Lori Knowles is a mother of a recovered child and General Manager of New Beginnings Nutritionals. She is a frequent speaker on biomedical interventions to parents and  professionals at autism conferences around the world. Over the past five years, she has worked closely with Dr. William Shaw, PhD to create New Beginnings Nutritionals, a cutting edge nutritional supplement company that supports the unique needs of children with autism. She collaborates with physicians, naturopaths, scientists, autism researchers and parents in order to create a diverse product line that parents and physicians can trust. Lori enjoys drawing from both her extensive research, professional and personal experience in recovering her own child to support parents and practitioners seeking answers to improve the lives of children affected with autism.

Kelly LeBrock

In 2008, after the death of her brother, Harold, LeBrock decided to devote her time to the terminally ill. She is currently the celebrity spokesperson for “Club Carson”, whose members are children suffering from cancer. In the late 1980s, LeBrock was one of the first private U.S. citizens to own her own hyperbaric chamber. LeBrock also started her own brand of homeopathic remedies. LeBrock testified to Congress in 1995 to the House Enquiry on Insurance and Medicare Access for alternative treatments on the needs of all Americans to have affordable access to such remedies. She is on various scientific advisory boards and regularly lectures on this subject.

LeBrock began her career as a model at the age of sixteen. She went on to appear on magazine covers and in fashion spreads, including an exclusive Christian Dior campaign, and became one of Eileen Ford’s most sought-after models. She also gained notoriety as the Pantene shampoo commercial spokeswoman whose line “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” became a pop-culture catchphrase.

LeBrock was cast as the “perfect” or “fantasy” woman in films such as The Woman in Red (1984) and John Hughes’ Weird Science (1985). In 1985, LeBrock was awarded the ShoWest award for “Female Star of Tomorrow”. In 1990, she starred opposite then-husband Steven Seagal in Hard to Kill. LeBrock also appeared in Betrayal of the Dove (1993), Tracks of a Killer (1995), and Hard Bounty (1995).

She had roles in the film Wrongfully Accused (1998), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2002), and the film Zerophilia (2005). In 2006, LeBrock starred in Gamers: The Movie. LeBrock is currently in the pre-production stage of the movie The Tambourine Mare as a co-author of the story.

Julie Matthews

Julie Matthews is an internationally respected autism nutrition specialist and author of the award-winning book Nourishing Hope for Autism. Julie provides sound diet and nutrition intervention guidance backed by scientific research and applied clinical experience. She presents at the leading autism conferences is the US and abroad, writes for autism publications, and hosts a weekly radio program.  She supports parents, nutritionists, and physicians from her private practice in San Francisco.

Julie’s live presentations include information for practitioners and parents. She presents complex information in ways that are easy to understand and apply at home, while providing scientific data so “advanced parents” and practitioners can better comprehend the efficacy of diet and nutrition intervention for their patients and children – and succeed at implementation.

Jerry Newport

Jerry Newport, 58 grew up in Islip, NY. His parent’s were teachers, and he was second in his high school class He recently helped run his fortieth class reunion. He has a B.A. in Mathematics from The University of Michigan where he was also a member of Delta Chi Fraternity. Jerry, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 1995, and his wife, Mary Meinel-Newport are internationally recognized as advocates, authors and savants, having appeared on “Sixty Minutes” twice. They have written books on adult aspects of Asperger’s Syndrome and spoken in forty six states and eight nations.

Mary grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and is the proud mother of two sons, Stephen and Peter, and two grandchildren. She is licensed in piano tuning, and rebuilding. Mary has been an extra in many TV series “Star Trek” “Babylon Five” and the movie “Voyager” as part of the Star Trek series.

Dr. William Shaw

William Shaw, Ph.D., received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and human physiology from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is board certified in the fields of clinical chemistry and toxicology by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. He has supervised large endocrinology, nutritional biochemistry, toxicology and immunology departments in positions at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Smith Kline Laboratories in Atlanta, GA. He was Director of Clinical Chemistry, Endocrinology and Toxicology at Children’s Mercy Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine. Dr. Shaw is now the Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism in Lenexa, Kansas specializing in testing for autism spectrum disorders, metabolic disorders in adults and children, PDD, hyperactivity, inborn errors of metabolism and adult disorders such as depression, Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is author of Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD and is a frequent speaker at autism conferences worldwide including ACAM, DAN, ASA, AAEM, NAA and AIM. He is the stepfather of a child with autism and has helped thousands of parents and physicians successfully contribute to improving the lives of children with autism.

Dr. Stephen Shore

Diagnosed with “Atypical Development with strong autistic tendencies” Dr. Shore was viewed as “too sick” to be treated on an outpatient basis and recommended for institutionalization. Nonverbal until four, and with much help from his parents, teachers, and others, Stephen completed his doctoral dissertation at Boston University focused on matching best practice to the needs of people on the autism spectrum. Click here to see an abstract of the dissertation. Recently, Dr. Shore has accepted a professorship at Adelphi University teaching courses in special education and autism.

In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, and the critically acclaimed Understanding Autism for Dummies.

President emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England, Dr. Shore serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, for the Board of Directors for Autism Society of America, Unlocking Autism, MAAP, the College Internship Program, and USAAA.

Karen Simmons

Karen Simmons, CEO and founder of Autism Today, is also the mother to six, two with special needs, and is the inspiration, co-author and driving force for “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Children with Special Needs” which is co-authored with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Heather McNamara. Ms. Simmons will tell the audience how the book was born, a little about her own children with special needs and share special heart-felt stories from this highly acclaimed book. Ms Simmons’s passion has led her to create many titles, one of which is the “The Official Autism 101 Manual” which won the IPPY Gold Medal in the medicine category and the newly released “Autism Tomorrow, The Complete Guide to helping your Child Thrive in the Real World”. Ms. Simmons will be available for book signings following the presentation.

Dr. Lauren Underwood

Dr. Lauren Underwood received her MS and PhD in biology (developmental neurobiology) from Tulane University. Following graduation, she was awarded a National Institute of Health Post-Doctoral Training Grant Fellowship in Vision Research.

Dr. Underwood is the parent of a child recovering from autism and, as a result of this, became a health educator and biomedical consultant for families of autistic children. She is also concurrently employed as a Lead Scientist for CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) as support contractor to NASA. Additionally, Dr. Underwood is a C.A.R.D., Center for Autism and Related Disorders, IRB Board member, a USAAA, US Autism and Asperger Association, Advisory Board (Scientific) member, and a scientific advisor for the International Hyperbarics Association (IHA).

Dr. Underwood has presented a poster on the “Best Practices” approach for the treatment of autism that that was presented at the 2008 Pangea Conference (Pediatric Integrative Medicine Conference (PIMC) for the Integrative Pediatrics Council, and has spoken both Nationally and Internationally explaining biomedical management options for treating autism. Dr. Underwood was also honored and privileged to be invited to co-author several chapters in a recently published book by Dr. Stephen Shore titled Understanding Autism for Dummies. Additionally, she has published three papers in The Autism File, a quarterly magazine dealing with all aspects of autism; one titled “A Best Practices Model for Treating Autism to Improve Optimal Outcomes: Behavioral and Biomedical Interventions Implemented Together” another, titled “Understanding the Use of Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (mHBOT) as a Treatment Option for Children with Autism”, and most recently and article titled ” Diagnosis Autism: 10 quick tips”.

Dr. Sheila Wagner

Sheila Wagner, M.Ed., is an Assistant Director at the Emory Autism Resource Center (EARC) and the Program Coordinator of the MONARCH School-Age Program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also the project director for a multi-county Inclusion Project, affecting over 600 students with ASD, and is a long-term member of the EARC’s diagnostic team.

Ms. Wagner began her experience in the field of autism over 20 years ago at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University, where she was both an associate and a demonstration teacher in the autism program. She received her undergraduate degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and her graduate degree in special education from Georgia State University.

Ms. Wagner’s first book, Inclusive Programming for Elementary Students with Autism, won the ASA Literary Award for 2000. She is also the author of Inclusive Programming for the Middle School Student with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, and co-author of two books: Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome: Fast Facts, and Asperger’s and Girls. Her newest book on inclusion and high school students with autism will be out in March of 2008.