WASHINGTON – The Howard University School of Education will host a virtual conference on April 27, 2022, at 6:30 p.m., to spread awareness about autism in the Black Community. The conference is titled “Voices from the Black Autism Community: Addressing Barriers, Biases and Broken Resources.” The conference will be hosted by Shanter Alexander, Ph.D. NCSP, assistant professor of school psychology. Alexander will be conducting an overview of autism and convening with several dynamic panelists who have dedicated their lives to the work of addressing autism in our Black community.

During the conference, Alexander, will be joined by several dynamic panelists who have dedicated their lives to the work of addressing autism in the Black community. Joining the panel will be Alyssa Ware, associate program director of Family Voices DC and mother of a daughter with autism, Ron Hampton, a police officer and father to an autistic son, Gyasi Burks-Abbott, a self-advocate, Yetta Myrick mother of an autistic son and founder of DC Autism Parents, and Maria Davis-Pierre, self-advocate, mother of two autistic children and founder of Autism in Black, Inc.

“This event is only the beginning of our meaningful conversations about the challenges surrounding education, healthcare and black neurodiversity. The ultimate goal is to develop a strong academic, community engaged partnership between the Mecca: Howard University and the black autism community” says Alexander. Alexander is currently working on projects that specifically address the challenges related to screening, evaluation, diagnosis, psycho-educational support and interventions towards improving overall quality for life for the black neurodiverse community.

This event aims to initiate wider conversation about mental health and neurodivergence in the wider Black community. Alexander will also pursue projects that address the challenges related to screening, evaluation, diagnosis and access to healthcare and educational support.

Attendance of this event requires pre-registration. Please register here.

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media Contact: Brittany Bailer; brittany.bailer@howard.edu