4-Day Thematic Schedule
Introduction to ALFOC : the vision and the mission
Introduction to the diverse assisted living landscape in India
Framework and key considerations of setting up a residential
Familial Preparedness for Assisted Living Care: Parent/Professional & Sibling/Researcher Perspectives
Financial Preparedness for Families considering Assisted living for their children with special needs
Final Q/A with audience and thank you note
Focus: Employment, supported work, meaningful engagement, recreation, community participation and lifelong occupation for autistic adolescents and adults across the support-needs spectrum.
| Time | Session | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 10:10 AM–10:40 AM | Keynote: Why Adult Engagement Matters: From Employability to Meaningful Adult Life |
Setting the context: the adult service cliff, unemployment, inactivity, isolation and the need to move beyond a child-centric autism ecosystem. Reframing success beyond competitive employment; dignity, choice, participation, productivity, belonging and quality of life. |
| 10:45 AM–11:15 AM | Session 1: The Employment Reality for Autistic Adults in India | Employer readiness, skill mismatch, workplace behaviour, disclosure, reasonable accommodation, retention, stigma, transportation and family concerns. Include employer + autistic employee + job coach + parent perspective. |
| 11.15 AM–11.30 AM | QnA | |
| 11:30 AM–12:00 PM | Session 2: Building a Vocational Pathway Across the Spectrum | Vocational profiling, strengths and interests, functional assessment, work-readiness, internships, supported employment, job carving, micro-enterprise and sheltered-to-open employment transition. |
| 12:05 PM–12:35 PM | Session 3: What About Those Who May Not Enter Competitive Employment? | Meaningful engagement for autistic adults with moderate and high support needs: structured activity, production units, creative work, community participation, recreation, sensory engagement and supported contribution. |
| 12:40 PM–1:10 PM | Session 4: Employer, Family and Service Provider — Who Supports Whom? | Clarifying responsibilities of employers, families, NGOs, professionals, government and job coaches; avoiding overprotection and token employment. |
| 1.10 PM–1.25 PM | QnA | |
| 1.30 PM–2.15 PM | Lunch Break | |
| 2.20 PM–3.00 PM | Panel Discussion: Nothing about Us, leaving Anyone of US | My journey to employment * What helped me succeed * Challenges at work * What employers should know * My dream workplace |
| 3:00 PM–3:40 PM | Panel Discussion: Employer Perspectives | The journey of Inclusive Workplaces * Hiring practices * Workplace accommodations * Career progression * Retention * Success stories |
| 3.40 PM–4.00 PM | QnA and Summarization | |
| Time | Topic | Speaker | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10am–10:10am | Introduction to the Conclave intent and need | Mahua Seth | 10 mins |
| 10:20am–11:20am |
Expert Speak: Understanding the intersection and overlaps of Neurodiversity, Gender, Sexuality and its Cultural Nuances a. Understanding from a medical standpoint b. Discussions on how diagnosis and response can differ in different geo-social and cultural context |
Mr. Wenn Lawson and Ms. Aritra Chatterjee | 45+15=60 mins |
| 11:20am–11:40am | Tea/Coffee Break | ||
| 11:45am–1pm |
Journey of Neuro -queer individuals and their families in India a. Sharing of experience by a neuro - queer person, family member b. Understanding the challenges of identification, diagnosis and navigating this journey: medically, familial, school/institution and socially |
Ms. Meghna Kulkarni, Mesaki, Ms. Yuma Narah Camdir, Ms. Ruvena Sanyal, Other Panelist - TBC | 60+15=75 mins |
| 1pm–1:50pm | Lunch Break | ||
| 2pm-2:45pm | Screening of a video | ||
| 2:45pm–4:00pm |
Exploring desire and intimacy needs of non-typical non-heteronormative individuals a. Discussion on the desire and need for intimacy for this community, the language and understanding of the same b. Exploring and busting the myth and stigma around alternative intimacies, sexual experiences |
Ms. Shatabhisha Chatterjee, Mr. Rit Prasanna, Other Panelist TBC | 60+15=75 mins |
| 4:00pm–4:30pm | Open House and Charting the Way Forward | Mahua Seth | |
Proposed Educational Focus:
A clinically oriented symposium examining how clinicians can distinguish autistic characteristics from co-occurring psychiatric disorders, formulate complex presentations, and avoid diagnostic overshadowing. The format deliberately prioritises discussion and clinical reasoning over conventional lectures.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 12:00PM–12:10PM | Welcome & Introduction — Framing the central clinical question |
| 12:10PM–12:50PM | Is it Autism, Mental Illness—or Both? — Diagnostic formulation in complex autism |
| 12:50PM–01:30PM | Same Behaviour, Different Disorder — Autism, OCD and repetitive behaviour |
| 01:30PM–01:45PM | Tea/Coffee Break |
| 01:45PM–02:25PM | Challenging Behaviour: What Are We Actually Treating? — From behavioural description to formulation |
| 02:25PM–03:10PM | Interactive Case Discussion — Five difficult cases in autism; audience-led formulation |
| 03:10PM–03:20PM | Short Break |
| 03:20PM–03:55PM | Expert Clinical Q&A — Ask Mark Lovell: the difficult cases clinic; pre-submitted and live questions |
| 03:55PM–04:00PM | Closing Take-home Messages |
Short presentations will be built around clinical cases, video/assessment examples where appropriate, and audience questions. The emphasis will be on expert clinical reasoning rather than a comprehensive review of autism. Participants should leave with practical approaches to differential diagnosis, formulation and treatment.