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Check out our amazing lineup of speakers and panels below! Check-in begins at 8:00 AM.
Dr. Kerry Magro
Dr. Kerry Magro Ed.D. was nonspeaking till 2.5, diagnosed with autism at 4 and didn’t speak in complete sentences until 7 years old. Today as an adult he is an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author and autism consultant to Netflix’s Emmy-Award Winning Series ‘Love on the Spectrum U.S’and the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher. His work also includes being hired as a writer for the PBS Kids new series ‘Carl the Collector’ featuring the TV Network’s first-ever autistic main character.
He started professional speaking 14 years ago via the National Speakers Association after he fell in love with theater as a child to help with his social and communication skills. Today he has spoken at over 1400 events during that time include 2 TEDxTalks and a ‘Talks at Google’ presentation. In addition, Kerry is CEO & President of KFM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided 150 scholarships for autistic students for college and counting since 2011. He’s provided 27 small business grants for small businesses that hire people with disabilities and has played Santa Claus for autistic and special needs children for the past decade to give them an opportunity to meet Santa in a sensory-friendly environment.
In his spare time, he hosts a Facebook Page called Kerry’s Autism Journey that now has 314,000 Facebook followers where he does on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by a diagnosis to help break down barriers in our community. His videos he’s produced have been watched over 35 Million times.
Kerry’s best-selling books Defining Autism From The Heart, and Autism and Falling in Love, I Will Light It Up Blue and his latest, Autistics on Autism, Supporting Your Autism Journey and Santa Goes The Extra Mile for Children with Disabilities have reached Amazon Best-Seller Lists for Special Needs Parenting. His latest book ‘’ was released on April 2, 2024 for World Autism Awareness Day!
For his efforts in the community he’s been featured on NBC’s Today Show, CBS News, FOX5, Upworthy along with additional outlets. He frequently speaks in-person and virtually to companies on Neurodiversity in the Workplace including JP Morgan Chase, TD Bank, and S&P Global.
Sue Askeland
Susan Askeland graduated from the University of Nebraska with a master’s degree in speech language pathology. She worked for Northwest AEA in Sioux City as a speech language pathologist and a member of the autism resource team for 37 years. In 2013 she moved to eastern Iowa where she worked as an autism consultant for Grant Wood AEA until her retirement in 2017.
Susan continues to be actively involved in the autism community . She is a board member of the Autism Society of Iowa and past board member of the Corridor Autism Resource Expo (CARE) and the Awesome Autism Awareness and Acceptance Art Project. Susan also facilitates several support groups that currently meet on Zoom.
Taylor Aukes
Taylor Aukes is the Adult Community Services Director at Balance Autism. He has been with Balance Autism for 7 years. Taylor has provided oversight to the Smart Living Program at Balance Autism focusing on the development of processes and policies to ensure compliance with State regulations as well as establishing a best practice for providing the highest quality of care for the individuals they serve. As a member of Proof Positive’s Autism Wellbeing Alliance, He has worked to integrate the skills of happiness and positive psychology into the Smart Living Program.
Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller, MD, FACOG, ABOIM
Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller, MD, FACOG, ABOIM is an OB-Gyn and integrative medicine physician and is the mother of two children including a twenty-five-year-old son with autism. She divides her time between Iowa and Arizona seeing patients through MercyOne Waterloo OB-Gyn and HonorHealth Integrative Medicine in Scottsdale, AZ. She is a past president and former longtime board member of the Autism Society of Iowa. Suzanne is the award-winning author of The Outdoor Adventurer’s Guide to Forest Bathing, published in 2019 and A Friend Like John, Understanding Autism, published in 2011.
Jessica Crawford, BCBA, LBA
Jessica Crawford has been in the autism field for the past 15 years and has spent her career working to apply the science of behavior analysis to support and enhance the lives of individuals with autism. Since obtaining her masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University, Jessica’s focus has been working in home, community, and clinical settings providing services and guiding the application of behavioral analysis across the lifespan. Finding new and innovative ways to teach and enhance the lives of individuals with autism while making services more accessible is a primary passion of hers.
Lorna Garcia, Sergeant, Des Moines Police Department
Sergeant Lorna Garcia has been a law enforcement officer in the Des Moines Police Department since 2000. She has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University, with majors in Psychology and Sociology. Her current assignment is focused on mental health and crisis response, partnering with the Broadlawns Mobile Crisis Response Team and the Crisis Advocacy Response Effort. Her previous duties include patrol officer and as a detective in the crimes against persons section. She has also served as a member of the Metro STAR Crisis Negotiation Team since 2007 and currently serves as the Team Leader. Additionally, she is the lead instructor for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and de-escalation training for DMPD officers.
Kristin Hansen, M.A, BCBA, LBA
Kristin Hanson is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA), and the Founder, CEO, Owner, and Clinical Director of Axis Therapy Centers. With over 15 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), her clinical expertise is rooted in the early detection and intervention of autism spectrum disorder. In addition to her clinical and executive work, Kristin serves on several statewide and national committees. She is a Board Member and Events Committee Co-Chair for the Autism Society of Iowa, a member of the Autism Expert Panel for the Iowa Regional Autism Assistance Program, and Co-Chair of the State Advocacy Group for Iowa under the Council of Autism Providers.
Kristin is committed to lifelong learning and personal growth, continually engaging in advanced leadership training, mentorship, and self-development. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, reading, listening to podcasts, attending concerts, and golfing.
Erika Hertel, MA,
Erika Hertel is the program manager for the Iowa Regional Autism Assistance Program (RAP) at Child Health Specialty Clinics, with University of Iowa Health Care. She received her BS in Psychology and MA in Counselor Education from the University of Iowa. She is a certified Family Development Specialist through the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice and Family Peer Support Specialist through the Iowa Board of Certification. Erika has experience working with children ages 0-21 and their families in a range of programs focused on prevention, family education and support, treatment, and connection to services. She is an ex-officio member of the Iowa Autism Council, serves on the Autism Society of Iowa Board of Directors, and leads the RAP Expert Panel. She is the parent of three young adults, one of whom has autism.
Dr. Todd Kopelman, PH.D., BCBA
Todd Kopelman is a licensed psychologist and a board-certified behavior analyst. He evaluates children, adolescents, and adults for questions about autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions and provides individual therapy for children and adults as well as parent coaching at Meadowlark Psychiatry.
Before joining Meadowlark, Dr. Kopelman was a Professor in the University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics Department of Psychiatry. He co-directed the hospital’s Autism Center as well as the Day Treatment Program at The Center for Disabilities and Development. He has worked collaboratively with schools across Iowa to support students with behavioral challenges, served as Project Coordinator for three federally funded grants investigating the use of telehealth and young children with Autism, and has co-written several journal articles and book chapters.
Dr. Kopelman is an active board member of the Autism Society of Iowa, including serving as its President, and he has helped organize conferences on several topics related to Autism. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry where he continues to teach and mentor graduate students, medical students and psychiatry residents and conducts interdisciplinary autism evaluations.
Kerry Lust
Kerry Lust and her husband Adam are the proud parents of three children, Carter (18) , Brandon (16), and Jaina (13). Their journey with autism began when their son Brandon was diagnosed at age 4. Kerry is passionate about advocating for autism awareness, acceptance, and support. She currently serves as a board member for the Autism Society of Iowa and a board member for the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science. Kerry is a high school social studies teacher and an adjunct psychology instructor at DMACC.
Anne Spaine
Ann Spaine is a licensed mental health therapist who has worked as a mental health/behavioral health team lead at ChildServe in Johnston since 2021. She loves working with individuals of all ages and has over 12 years of experience as a practicing therapist. Ann has specialized training and practice in trauma-informed modalities, including Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, and attachment-based interventions. Outside of work, she enjoys time with family, reading, swimming, running & travel.
Abby TeKippe, M.A. CCC-SLP
Abby TeKippe graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She worked at Grant Wood AEA for 2 years within their Autism Programs. After moving back home to Des Moines, she began working for ChildServe Johnston. Abby works within the outpatient therapy setting and is one of the therapists on the Autism team who support kids within the Autism Day Program. She has a passion for supporting individuals to communicate not only to meet basic needs, but to share opinions, ask questions, build connections, and advocate for themselves. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her three children and reading.
Emily Wake, OTR/L
Emily Wake graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She worked at an outpatient therapy center in Indianapolis for 2 years before moving to Des Moines. She began working at ChildServe – Johnston in 2019, providing occupational therapy services in a traditional outpatient setting as well as with children in ChildServe’s ABA and Autism Day Programs. Emily is passionate about supporting sensory regulation and integration and helping create safe and supportive environments where kids can thrive. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.
